David Yazbeck Quoted in The Lawyers Weekly Magazine

David Yazbeck is quoted in “Charter vetting challenge heading to Federal Court”, an article in the January 2015 edition of The Lawyers Weekly magazine. The article discusses the upcoming Federal Court case of Schmidt v A.G. Canada. The Applicant, Edgar Schmidt, a former Department of Justice lawyer, sued the government in 2012. The lawsuit alleges that the Minister of Justice was failing to live up to his responsibilities under s.... Read More

Congratulations to David Yazbeck on 10 Years as a Host at CKCU Radio!

David Yazbeck recently celebrated his 10th year anniversary as the host of the Thursday Morning Special Blend on CKCU FM. The Thursday Morning Special Blend focuses on local arts and rights issues, with plenty of live local music and interesting interviews. David regularly has representatives from the local music community, GCTC, Amnesty International, Rod Phillips on wine, and more.  David started the show in 2004, inspired by his passions for... Read More

Supreme Court finds a Constitutional Right to Strike

"Clearly the arc bends increasingly towards workplace justice”: The Supreme Court of Canada today released a landmark decision in Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v Saskatchewan, ruling that section 2(d) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects workers’ right to strike. In bold and sweeping reasons on behalf of the Majority, Justice Abella outlined the historical, international, and jurisprudential foundations for this right, emphasizing that a right to strike... Read More

Wassim Garzouzi speaks at the University of Ottawa

On Tuesday, January 6, 2015, Wassim Garzouzi participated on a Labour Law Panel at the University of Ottawa alongside co-panelists Graham Clarke of the Canada Industrial Relations Board (“CIRB”) and George Vuicic, of Hicks Morley. Following an arbitration simulation, the panel discussed the practice of labour law and answered questions from students. The event was organized by Professor Suzanne Bouclin as part of the Dispute Resolution course at the Law... Read More

Supreme Court breathes new life into the Charter in SFL

On the heels of its recent decision in Mounted Police Association of Ontario,[1] and with more distant roots in its judgments in BC Health Services[2] and Fraser,[3] the Supreme Court of Canada has breathed new life into section 2(d) of the Charter as it relates to the Canadian workplace. The Court’s decision marks a historic moment, not only for workers, but for the continued vitality of the rights protected by... Read More

Andrew Astritis Argues Judicial Review Application on Vacation Credit Entitlement

On January 7 and 8, 2015, Andrew Astritis appeared in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia to argue a judicial review application. The application seeks to overturn a decision of an arbitrator on the right of employees to accumulate vacation credits.   Read More

SFL and the Persuasive Power of International Law in Charter Claims

The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v Saskatchewan (“SFL”) will be remembered primarily for its historic conclusion that freedom of association under section 2(d) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms includes a protection for workers’ right to strike. But the comprehensive reasons of the majority also offer strong confirmation of the persuasive role that international law and Canada’s international commitments play when interpreting Charter... Read More

2015 Raven, Cameron, Ballantyne & Yazbeck Human Rights/Social Justice Internship

Our firm is renewing its partnership with the University of Ottawa and continues its commitment and funding to the Raven, Cameron, Ballantyne & Yazbeck LLP/s.r.l. Human Rights/Social Justice Internship. This exciting opportunity provides an excellent and meaningful summer work experience to students who are particularly interested in issues pertaining to social justice, human rights or equality rights. This is the 10th consecutive year that this paid internship has been sponsored... Read More

Workplace Privacy and Electronic Surveillance – A Right Still Looking for a Remedy

Nowadays most employees spend at least a portion of their workday using a computer, raising important privacy questions of what kinds of computer surveillance employers can implement on their employees’ work computers and under what circumstances. Questions relating to employer surveillance – when? why? how much is too much? – are long-standing issues in both unionized and non-unionized workplaces. Traditionally, decision-makers have been sharply divided over when employers can implement... Read More

RavenLaw Articling Student Daniel Tucker-Simmons Wins Housing Justice Case

On January 13, 2015, Daniel Tucker-Simmons, an articling student at RavenLaw, won a case before the Landlord and Tenant Board on behalf of ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). ACORN has been fighting for years to improve housing conditions in the low – mid income areas in Ottawa for its members and others. The case involved a landlord’s failure to repair a 150-meter stretch of walkway which had... Read More