University of Toronto Faculty of Law and the Law Foundation of Ontario presented the third biennial symposium – Combating Hatred in the Twenty-first Century: Legal Remedies.
The Use of the Criminal Code to Combat Hate
Introductions & Overview
• Mark Sandler, Lawyer – Cooper & Sandler LLP, Barristers and Solicitors
Panel Discussion
• Acting Inspector Steve Irwin, Toronto Police Service
• Deputy Director Howard Leibovich, Crown Law Office – Criminal
Use of Civil Remedies to Combat Hate
Introductions & Overview
• Marvin Kurz, Lawyer – Dale Streiman & Kurz LLP
Debate: Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act
• Professor Richard Moon, Faculty of Law – University of Windsor
• Mark Freiman, Lawyer – Lerners LLP
A Menu of Innovative Remedies
• David Matas, Lawyer
• Professor Patrick Monahan, Vice President Academic & Provost –
York University
• Douglas Elliott, Lawyer – Roy Elliott O’Connor LLP

1:30 pm Fighting Hatred in Europe: A View from the Front Lines
(Colony Ballroom)
• Right Honourable Denis MacShane, MP – British Parliament
Concurrent Workshops
1. Hate on the Internet (Terrace Suite)
• Saleha Khan, Instructor – Ontario Police College
• Marvin Kurz, Lawyer – Dale Streiman & Kurz LLP
• Dr. Abbee Corb, Open Source Intelligence Specialist – Hate Crime Extremism Investigative Team

Campus Issues
• Professor Lorne Sossin, Faculty of Law – University of Toronto
• Julia Hanigsberg, General Counsel – Ryerson University
• Nouman Ashraf, Former Director of the University of Toronto’s
Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office
• Bram Freedman, Vice President, External Relations and
Secretary General – Concordia University
3. What do Human Rights Laws have to do with Hate?
• Raja Khouri, Commissioner – Ontario Human Rights Commission
• Raj Anand, Lawyer – WeirFoulds and Chair, Ontario Human Rights
Legal Support Centre
• Nathalie Des Rosiers, General Counsel – Canadian Civil Liberties
Association
4. Sentencing for Hate Motivated Crime
• Mark Sandler, Lawyer – Cooper & Sandler LLP, Barristers and Solicitors
• Sandra Bacchus, Deputy Crown Attorney – Attorney General
• Julia Sandler, Assistant Crown Attorney – Attorney General

4:00 pm Voices of Experience
Moderator
• Justice Harry LaForme, Ontario Court of Appeal
Panelists
• The Honourable Irwin Cotler, M.P. for Mount Royal, Québec
• Zubeda Vahed, Senior Policy Advisor – Ministry of Education
• Reverend Dr. Brent Hawkes, Senior Pastor – Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto
• The Honourable Zanana Akande, M.Ed., B.A

UWO Law hosted the 2009 Labour Law Lecture & Conference on Equity in the Workplace: 25 Years After the Abella Report.

Hon. Justice Rosalie Abella of the Supreme Court of Canada delivered the keynote speech on Oct. 30, 2009. Kamila Pizon, a 3L at UWO Law, did a write-up on the speech available from Canadian Lawyer magazine and the school website.

The conference itself was held the following day, on Oct. 31, 2009.  Brian Burkett, partner at Heenan Blaikie LLP, provided the introduction and overview.

The first panel, on the evolution of employment equity, was chaired by The Honourable Madam Justice Rosalie Abella, and featured Carol Agocs of The University of Western Ontario, David Lepofsky, Chair of Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, and Nan Weiner of NJ Weiner Consulting.

The second panel discussed policy perspectives on employment equity. It was chaired by Elizabeth MacPherson of the Canada Industrial Relations Board, and featured Patricia Hughes of the Law Commission of Ontario, Elizabeth McIsaac of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council, and Tom Patch of the University of British Columbia.

Raj Anand of WeirFoulds LLP provided a keynote luncheon speech.

The third panel provided some international perspectives on employment equity. Kevin Whitaker, Chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board chaired the panel that consisted of Harish Jain of McMaster University, who spoke of successes in Malaysia, India and elsewhere, Natasha Martin of the Seattle University School of Law, who covered the implications of President Obama’s election, and Michael Stein of Harvard Law School.

Raj Anand of WeirFoulds LLP chaired the fourth panel, providing legal perspectives on employment equity.  Mary Cornish of Cavalluzzo Hayes Shilton McIntyre Cornish LLP provided a union side perspective, while Nitya Iyer of Heenan Blaikie LLP gave a manager side overview. Michael Lynk, Associate Dean at The University of Western Ontario, also added his insight.

Justice Rosalie Abella of the Supreme Court of Canada