Canadian Law

A mediator I may be, but a lawyer I’m not. Now of course that’s not something I should be bragging about - I know lots of lawyers, and frankly, I think most of those lawyer jokes are based on unfair stereotypes. For example, “A client who felt his legal bill was too high asked his lawyer to itemize costs. The statement included this item: "Was walking down the street and saw you on the other side. Walked to the corner to cross at the light, crossed the street and walked quickly to catch up with you. Got close and saw it wasn't you. --- $50.00." (http://www.lawyer-jokes.us/). Now is that fair?

Anyway, my point is that my knowledge of Canadian law is limited, but as a mediator, it’s often necessary to get legal information on issues as landlord-tenant problems, termination of employment, sexual harassment, etc. I could find my answers online, but we all know how time consuming those hyper-linked diversions can be. Instead, I have before me a big red copy of ‘Your Guide to Canadian Law: Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Questions' (published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside), a deal at $24.95, and even cheaper if purchased online. It’s the perfect reference for someone like myself, as it’s well organized and highly readable. Six major sections are subdivided into units such as ‘You and Your Job’, ‘Criminal Justice’, ‘Couples’, and these in turn are further categorized into easily digestible chunks on particular topics, including sections on mediation and arbitration.

Not surprisingly, many passages end with ‘for further information, consult with a lawyer,’ but the reader is provided with a very good overview which should be able to provide answers for the kind of questions clients might want to know before mediating. There is a unit on ‘How to Sue Someone’ (please try mediation first), but I found the section on Criminal Justice very valuable. It clearly and concisely answers 49 well chosen questions, starting with ‘When can the police stop and question me?’ and going on to questions relating to ‘Being Charged and Arrested’, ‘Defending a Charge’, ‘Common Criminal Offences’ and more, ending with ‘Criminal Records.’ If you think you already know all you need about Canadian Law, then consider buying this as a gift for someone who doesn’t. By the way, did you hear about the lawyer who - oh never mind.