Bench Press.

1. Hooking Up with a Pretty Girl

   Justice Fergus O'Donnell of the Ontario Court of Justice recently wrote: "Devon Brumble wanted a pretty girl and, as is sometimes the case, he got most of what he wanted, however briefly, and a whole pile of trouble besides". Brumbies friend had offered to set him up with a pretty girl with a long nose and six teeth for $1800. She was a bit old for him at 38, but his friend said she revolved around men. Brumble found himself admiring his new girlfriend in a police van after they intercepted the messages and easily translated their code into a 38 calibre revolver with six rounds of ammunition. The Judge noted that the accused's luck wasn't all bad: the pretty girl's teeth were missing. Justice O'Donnell wrote "I suspect that Mr. Brumble might have been a bit peeved upon discovering that fact that evening, but under the sentencing provisions of the Criminal Code the absence of those bullets works significantly in Mr. Brumbies benefit. If Mr. Brumble had been found in possession of the gun, either loaded or with ammunition for it nearby, the minimum sentence would be a penitentiary sentence of three years." The Judge sentenced him to a jail term of 18 months, with a 1 to 1 Vi credit for time served, followed by a probation period of three years, the maximum possible, under strict conditions. R. v. Brumble, 2013 ONCJ 308

2. Mandatory Workplace Testing

   The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that mandatory random alcohol and drug testing of unionized employees at the Irving Pulp and Paper plant in New Brunswick was unreasonable. The majority opinion stated "A unilaterally imposed policy of mandatory random testing for employees in a dangerous workplace has been overwhelmingly rejected by arbitrators as an unjustified affront to the dignity and privacy of employees unless there is evidence of enhanced safety risks, such as evidence of a general problem with substance abuse in the workplace...In this case, the expected safety gains to the employer were found by the board to range from uncertain to minimal, while the impact on employee privacy was severe." It ruled that the employer had not demonstrated the necessary safety concerns that would justify random universal testing.

   Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 30 v. Irving Pulp & Paper Ltd., 2013 SCC 34 (CanLII)

3. Water Woes

   A Court of Queen's Bench judge has ruled that the provincial Environmental Appeal Board has no jurisdiction to grant...