Reem Bahdi Wins Guthrie Award New Advertising Rules For Real Estate Lawyers Law Commission Launches Class Action Project Law Times Poll
REEM BAHDI WINS GUTHRIE AWARD
University of Windsor professor Reem Bahdi has been awarded the Law Foundation of Ontario’s Guthrie award.
The foundation is set to give Bahdi the award for her human rights work. The professor has been credited with being a leader in advancing access to justice for Arabs and Muslims in Canada.
“Professor Bahdi has seized the opportunity to work on complex and cutting-edge access-to-justice issues,” said Linda Rothstein, chairwoman of the foundation’s board. “She has dedicated her life to changing hearts, minds and systems to champion human rights. And, remarkably, it seems she is just getting started.”
Bahdi, who teaches access to justice and torts, was Canada’s first tenured Palestinian-Canadian law professor and served as associate dean of Windsor Law from 2012 to 2015. Her research has focused on Arab and Muslim human rights in the post-9/11 world.
“Professor Bahdi is an exceptional member of our Faculty of Law, and she is engaging our country in vitally important conversations,” said Alan Wildeman, president and vice chancellor at the University of Windsor.
“She has lived and breathed access to justice and is a role model to students, scholars and the profession.”
Bahdi also helped to create the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association and was instrumental in starting a mandatory access-to-justice course at Windsor Law.
The award, named in honour of Donald Guthrie, is given to individuals who have made significant contributions to improving access to justice.
The foundation will give Bahdi the award at a reception on Dec. 5 at the Law Society of Upper Canada.
NEW ADVERTISING RULES FOR REAL ESTATE LAWYERS
The Law Society of Upper Canada has approved new advertising rules for real estate lawyers.
The new rules will mean the fees real estate lawyers advertise will have to be all-inclusive except for harmonized sales tax and certain disbursements.
The changes came about as part of a broad initiative looking to tackle how the LSUC can better regulate advertising, referral fees and contingency fees.
The new rules will also mean that real estate lawyers must adhere to the advertised price for every transaction and that, in purchase transaction, the price will include the price for acting on both the purchase and on one mortgage.
Convocation approved the new rules at its September meeting.
LAW COMMISSION LAUNCHES CLASS ACTION PROJECT
The Law Commission of Ontario has launched a review of the province’s Class Proceedings Act.
Class action litigation has grown significantly since the act came into effect in 1993, with 900 class action lawsuits having been launched in the last 20 years, according to the law commission. The project will look to provide an analysis of the province’s actions with respect to access to justice, judicial economy and deterrence to see if the legislation needs to be updated.
The review will be conducted through consultations with the legal profession, organizations and others with an interest in class actions, and it will result in a report the law commission expects to release in 2018.
LAW TIMES POLL
Recently, the Law Society of Upper Canada voted to nix the “Upper Canada” from its name.
Readers were asked if they agree with this move.
Roughly 35 per cent said yes, this is a sign the law society is moving with the times.
The remaining 65 per cent said no, the Law Society of Upper Canada is a name that carries a lot of history.
