Dans cet épisode d'Obiter, Shauna Van Praagh s'entretient avec Yves Boisvert, journaliste avec La Presse depuis plus de 30 ans. Ensemble, ils explorent le rôle essentiel du journalisme dans la compréhension du droit, de la justice et de la démocratie.

Diplômé en droit de l'Université de Montréal, Yves Boisvert n'a jamais voulu devenir avocat, mais sa formation juridique a profondément façonné sa rigueur et sa capacité à vulgariser des enjeux complexes pour le grand public.

Pendant plus de dix ans comme journaliste judiciaire, puis comme chroniqueur, il s'est imposé comme un « spectateur professionnel » de la justice, convaincu qu'une critique lucide et rigoureuse renforce les institutions publiques.

La conversation aborde aussi sa méthode de terrain : aller à l'écoute des gens, recueillir leurs histoires, donner un visage humain aux grands enjeux. Ses reportages aux États-Unis en 2016 et 2024 illustrent cette approche, notamment face à la crise de la primauté du droit et des politiques migratoires de l'administration américaine.

Obiter est un balado de la Commission du droit du Canada, animé par Shauna Van Praagh. Notre équipe pour cet épisode se compose du producteur Brian Peebles, de la productrice associée Amélia Souffrant et la recherchiste Charlotte Ruffo.

In this episode of Obiter, host Shauna Van Praagh speaks with the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, Canada's longest-serving and first female Chief Justice, about her prairie beginnings to life on the international stage. We discuss the evolving nature of law and the importance of creativity, storytelling and imagination in legal reasoning and justice.

McLachlin shares how her experiences teaching law influenced her legal thinking and her approach on the bench. She also provides insights from her international judicial experiences and the importance of global legal dialogue.

She speaks candidly about her transition from judicial life to writing memoirs and fiction, and the role that clarity plays in both legal and creative writing. We conclude the episode with her observations on the significance of supporting the rule of law and hope for its future amid global turbulence and democratic decline.

Obiter is produced by the Law Commission of Canada and hosted by Shauna Van Praagh. The team for this episode includes producer Brian Peebles, and associate producer Tiran Bajgiran.

In this episode of Obiter, host Shauna Van Praagh speaks with Rabbi Lisa Grushcow, Senior Rabbi of Temple Emanu-El Beth Sholom, to explore how faith communities engage with law, justice, and belonging in a pluralistic society. Rabbi Grushcow offers perspectives on the connections between faith, civic responsibility, and the pursuit of justice.

The conversation traces Rabbi Grushcow's personal journey and reflects on the ways in which exclusion and inclusion can shape ethical commitments. The conversation explores pluralism as a defining feature of human communities, and emphasizes the importance of curiosity, respectful disagreement, and the preservation of minority voices in both legal and religious traditions.

Rabbi Grushcow speaks candidly about the responsibilities of public leadership, the challenge of fostering genuine belonging, and the delicate balance between speaking out and holding communities together.

Obiter is produced by the Law Commission of Canada and hosted by Shauna Van Praagh. The team for this episode includes producer Brian Peebles, associate producer Tiran Bajgiran, and researcher Maxwell Brodie.

Dans cet épisode d'Obiter, Shauna Van Praagh s'entretient avec Daniel Jutras, recteur de l'Université de Montréal, afin d'explorer les liens entre l'éducation, le droit et la démocratie. À partir de son parcours personnel et professionnel, Daniel Jutras réfléchit au rôle fondamental des universités dans la formation des citoyens, la transmission du savoir et la vitalité du débat public.

La conversation aborde les transformations qui marquent le monde universitaire, notamment les défis liés à l'enseignement, les effets de la remise en question de l'expertise et du savoir dans un contexte de montée du populisme, et les risques que cela pose pour les institutions démocratiques et la primauté du droit.

Obiter est un balado de la Commission du droit du Canada, animé par Shauna Van Praagh. Notre équipe pour cet épisode se compose du producteur Brian Peebles, de la productrice associée Amélia Souffrant et de l'assistant de recherche Maxwell Brodie.

In this episode of Obiter, we speak with journalist and educator Duncan McCue about the intersections of journalism, law, and Indigenous ways of knowing.

Duncan shares how his experience living on a Cree trapline as a teenager shaped his identity and his approach to teaching, as captured in his book, The Shoe Boy: A Trapline Memoir.

He speaks of his time at law school and how the model of Western legal education and training ultimately strengthened his journalism. Duncan discusses confronting mainstream media approaches to reporting and why he wrote Decolonizing Journalism, a guidebook to introducing reciprocity, respect, and careful relationship-building when reporting in Indigenous communities.

We also learn about how he designed Carleton University's Certificate in Journalism in Indigenous Communities to bring journalism training directly to Indigenous learners where they live.

Our conversation ends with Duncan sharing why the next generation of storytellers gives him hope for the future of journalism and the evolving place of Indigenous legal traditions in Canada.

Obiter is produced by the Law Commission of Canada and hosted by Shauna Van Praagh. The team for this episode includes producer Brian Peebles, associate producer Mackenzie Claggett, and researcher Diana Ebadi.

Before law school, Dr. Val Napoleon worked as a community activist with the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en Peoples of British Columbia. She learned their legal traditions holistically - from those actively practicing them - an experience that profoundly shaped her approach to law. This foundation continues to influence her work as she reimagines the possibilities for both Indigenous and Canadian legal systems.

A member of the Saulteau First Nation and an adopted member of the Gitanyow, Dr. Napoleon is a trailblazer in the revitalization of Indigenous law. She began law school as a grandmother and has since dedicated her career to exploring Indigenous legal traditions. As the Law Foundation Chair of Indigenous Justice at the University of Victoria, she founded the Indigenous Law Research Unit and co-created a dual law degree in common and Indigenous law. She also co-founded the National Centre for Indigenous Law and leads efforts to holistically rebuild Indigenous legal orders. Dr. Napoleon continues to shape the teaching, learning, and practice of law in Canada.

Photo: Greg Miller

Resources:

Indigenous Law Research unit: https://ilru.ca/

Building justice and shaping the evolution of law is an ongoing pursuit—one that Frank Iacobucci has dedicated his life to. In this episode of Obiter, we explore his remarkable career and enduring impact on Canadian law reform.

A graduate of UBC and Cambridge, Iacobucci began his legal career in New York before returning to Canada to teach law in Toronto. He later became Dean of the University of Toronto's Law School, moved into university leadership, and ultimately took on key roles in government and the judiciary. His path led him to Ottawa, where he served as Deputy Minister of Justice, Chief Justice of the Federal Court, and then Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada from 1991 to 2004.

Beyond the bench, Iacobucci has shaped justice through the academy, reviews and inquiries, and as the federal government's chief negotiator for the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement. In this conversation, he reflects on his career, the evolution of law, and the legacy he hopes to leave for future jurists. His insights offer a profound look at law as a force for justice, reconciliation, and progress.

Photo: Torys LLP

Dans cet épisode d'Obiter, Shauna Van Praagh, présidente de la Commission du droit du Canada, reçoit Kim Thùy, écrivaine québécoise d'origine vietnamienne qui a aussi été interprète, restauratrice, et juriste. Kim Thùy partage l'histoire émouvante de son arrivée au Canada et l'accueil des gens de Granby, avant de discuter de son parcours en droit et ses influences sur son œuvre littéraire. Le tout conclu par une réflexion inspirante sur l'optimisme et l'espoir.

Photo: Karine Levesque