A speech I delivered during a rally to protest the proposed constitutional coup in Israel, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto. February 25, 2023 Good evening, friends. My name is Ariel Katz and I am an Israeli-Canadian and law professor at the University of Toronto. This morning, my mother, who lives in Nes Ziona (south of Tel Aviv), wrote the following on Facebook: “I’m 89 years old. Going to a demonstration tonight. How does one protect themselves against a fist blow?” It took me a couple of minutes to understand what she was talking about, and realize that she was referring to …

Constitution “just like in Canada”? Bring it on! Read more »

First published in the Globe and Mail on Oct 25, 2016 While Wallonia’s opposition to the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement has received considerable attention, a recent decision of the German Federal Constitutional Court shows that CETA faces more fundamental hurdles than most Canadian and European leaders are willing to acknowledge. On Oct. 13, the constitutional court declined to issue a preliminary injunction prohibiting the German government from signing CETA. While it allowed Germany to sign, a careful reading of the decision reveals that it gave CETA a very qualified green light and contains several important lessons for Canada.

John Degen is a writer whose day job is that of a civil servant employed by the Ontario Arts Council. He frequently launches uninformed ad hominem attacks against anyone who questions Access Copyright. Curiously, these rants are regularly tweeted by Barry Sookman, who ought to know better. Degen’s blog of September 24, 2012 states that “…there comes a point when you just get tired of listening to the shrieking crusaders who want to take away your rights. And then those same crusaders smirkingly portray themselves as Nazis, just before Yom Kippur.” What provoked Degen’s ire was a retweet of mine linking to a recently made video …

When Blogs Cross a Line Read more »

Ten years ago I landed in Toronto with my wife and an 11 months old son. I left my job as a staff lawyer at the Israeli Antitrust Authority and arrived to Toronto to become a student again at UofT’s Faculty of Law. A couple of days later I had a meeting with Prof. Brian Langille: now my colleague, then the Associate Dean, Graduate Student. The meeting was part of a routine procedure for all incoming graduate students, but nonetheless, it was a sign for a great start. Not that I had never had meetings with professors in my earlier …

Toronto: The First Decade Read more »