As of August 1, 2022, bakerlaw has joined forces with Ross & McBride LLP.
Our team is excited to become part of the formidable group of human rights, employment, and constitutional lawyers at Ross & McBride. Our current and future clients will continue to receive the personalized, high-quality representation that has become synonymous with bakerlaw, and will benefit from the collaborative, cross-functional approach to complex issues that both we and Ross & McBride value. With the added resources of larger, full-service firm, this collaboration will allow us to take on new clients for the first time since October 2021. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact us at contact@rossmcbride.com
The content on this page is no longer being updated here. For news and updated content you can find it on the Ross & McBride News page.
Environmental Issues and Disability Rights
- July 9, 2014
- BakerLaw
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Toronto, ON, July 9, 2014 – Noise and chemicals are two ways in which our public and private institutions have been endangering the health of workers, residents and travelers.
bakerlaw was counsel to the West Toronto Diamond Community Group (WTDCG) in their successful efforts to stop Metrolinx’s use of high impact pile drivers in their assault on the low income residents of the Junction area of Toronto. » Read the rest
Human Rights Commission Releases Policy on Mental Illness and Addiction-based Discrimination
- June 19, 2014
- BakerLaw
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This week, the Ontario Human Rights Commission released its new “Policy on preventing discrimination based on mental health disabilities and addictions” (link to policy). This much-needed policy will shed light on how to recognize the existence of a mental health disability and addiction, and a corresponding duty to accommodate, as well as the process of accommodation itself in these cases. » Read the rest
Federal Court of Appeal Rules Employers Must Accommodate Childcare Obligations
- May 28, 2014
- BakerLaw
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Toronto, ON, May 27, 2014 — In a unanimous decision, the Federal Court of Appeal found that it is discriminatory for employers to refuse to accommodate employees with bona fide childcare obligations. The Court upheld the decision of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal which ruled that Canadian National Railway (CN) discriminated against Denise Seeley by failing to accommodate her family obligations. » Read the rest
Good News About Special Education
- May 20, 2014
- BakerLaw
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Toronto, ON, May 20, 2014 — It is frightening how many families have had their exceptional child excluded indefinitely from school, or have felt compelled to home school or privately educate their child because a publicly funded school did not meet their child’s needs. » Read the rest
Devaluation of Persons with Disabilities Most Evident: The Case of Emergency Preparedness
- April 11, 2014
- BakerLaw
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Toronto, ON, April 11, 2014 – I once heard Catherine Frazee speak at OISE about the ways Ontario’s emergency measures planning is based on an assumption that persons with disabilities are expendable.
The maritime code traditionally held that when grabbing life jackets or boarding life boats it was to be “women and children first.” » Read the rest
Interesting Links
- April 10, 2014
- BakerLaw
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We’re happy to share information* about related institutions and organizations engaged in social justice advocacy. Here is a sampling of links you may be interested in:
LEGAL
- Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
- Ontario Legal Aid
- Ontario Ministry of Labour – Employment Standards
- Canadian Legal Information Institute
- HIV and AIDS Legal Clinic (Ontario)
- Ontario Human Rights Commission
- Canadian Human Rights Commission
- Supreme Court of Canada
- Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO)
DISABILITY
- The Canadian National Institute for the Blind
- ARCH Disability Law Centre
- Council for Canadians with Disabilities (CCD)
- Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
- Canadian Spinal Research Organization
- DisAbled Women’s Network Ontario
- Ontario Brain Injury Association
- Disability Research Information Page
- Ethno-Racial People with Disabilities Coalition of Ontario (ERDCO)
- VoicePrint Canada – Broadcast Reading Service
- Epilepsy Toronto
- Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS
- Democracy Watch
- Canada Without Poverty
- Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation
- Human Rights Internet
- Human Rights Watch
- Lawyers for Social Responsibility
- Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF)
- Centre for Social Justice
- Amnesty International Canada
*These links are here for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsements. » Read the rest
Family Responsibilities are Human Rights
- November 6, 2013
- BakerLaw
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Toronto, ON, November 6, 2013 – Bakerlaw strongly believes it is discriminatory to refuse to accommodate persons with bona fide responsibilities for the care of family members. We are pleased to be at the forefront of championing the rights of caregivers, a group who has suffered in silence for too long. » Read the rest
Law Society Should Rethink Two-Tier Articling System
- October 28, 2013
- BakerLaw
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Toronto, ON, October 28, 2013 — The Law Society of Upper Canada has been compelled to respond to disturbing evidence that its articling requirement is an impenetrable barrier for many qualified law graduates. Unless an articling position can be found within 2 years of completing law school, students already burdened with debt and hard earned expectations are removed from the licensing process. » Read the rest
Ministry Breaches Charter and Puts Lives at Risk
- October 21, 2013
- BakerLaw
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Toronto, ON, October 21, 2013 – Where medically necessary health services are not performed in Ontario, or treatment wait lists pose a risk of death or irreversible tissue damage, Ontario residents have a right to go outside the country (“Out of Country”) for treatment at public expense. » Read the rest
Canada’s Immigration System Continues to Discriminate Against People with Disabilities
- October 18, 2013
- David Baker
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Toronto, ON, October 18, 2013 – Historically, Canada’s immigration system was riddled with discriminatory provisions, excluding immigrants who were female, gay or lesbian, were from non-European countries, or were non-Christian based on negative stereotypes about those groups. While the system has been reformed to remove many of these discriminatory barriers, it continues to exclude people with disabilities who are deemed likely to place an “excessive demand” on health and social services. » Read the rest