All too often, academics are derided as being denizens of ivory towers and university campuses their playgrounds. But that old chestnut is not especially true today at campuses and law schools.
The most popular professors are often those who are nicknamed ‘pracademics’ — those who can navigate the space between theory and practice. One has to admire a recent panel at the University of Toronto dedicated to examining police enforcement around sexual activities in Etobicoke’s Marie Curtis Park. As reported in Law Times, University of Ottawa Faculty of Law assistant professor Kyle Kirkup has questioned the constitutionality of the Toronto Police Service’s use of bylaw infractions in Project Marie.
Kirkup told Law Times the argument could be made that the police’s use of bylaws to enforce what is in essence a criminal prohibition is unconstitutional. As a result of police enforcement, police issued 89 charges (mostly to men), though only one of the charges was criminal. The others were all municipal bylaw and Provincial Offences Act infractions. Ridiculous.
Leaving out the public relations nightmare the project has spawned, there are some solid legal critiques of the ill-conceived police crackdown. These discussions of public events are crucial — and legal scholars must use and share their knowledge of the law to defang such silly behaviour by police. More, please.
The most popular professors are often those who are nicknamed ‘pracademics’ — those who can navigate the space between theory and practice. One has to admire a recent panel at the University of Toronto dedicated to examining police enforcement around sexual activities in Etobicoke’s Marie Curtis Park. As reported in Law Times, University of Ottawa Faculty of Law assistant professor Kyle Kirkup has questioned the constitutionality of the Toronto Police Service’s use of bylaw infractions in Project Marie. Kirkup told Law Times the argument could be made that the police’s use of bylaws to enforce what is in essence a criminal prohibition is unconstitutional. As a result of police enforcement, police issued 89 charges (mostly to men), though only one of the charges was criminal. The others were all municipal bylaw and Provincial Offences Act infractions. Ridiculous.
Leaving out the public relations nightmare the project has spawned, there are some solid legal critiques of the ill-conceived police crackdown. These discussions of public events are crucial — and legal scholars must use and share their knowledge of the law to defang such silly behaviour by police. More, please.
