Summer Baseball and Politics

The Docket

So episode 96 - a new record. But you know that right? Because you have already rated and reviewed the podcast - right? You should.

In the dog days of summer, as politicians hit the BBQ circuit, there Is nothing better to talk about than baseball and politics.

We lead off with a dissection of Elizabeth May’s strange ideas about the possibility of the government directing a judge to sentence SNC-Lavalin to do free work on indigenous water projects. The leader of the Green Party may not have thought this one through since she seems to be advocating the same political interference that she railed against a few short months ago. And then there is the practical problem. Even if SNC was sentenced to community service do we really want them overseeing the necessary upgrades indigenous communities desperately need to their water systems? Not so much.

Then is it on to the victim fine surcharge constitutional challenge 2.0. In 2018 the Supreme Court ruled that mandatory victim fines were unconstitutional and struck the law down, describing it as abhorrent and intolerable to society. But what about the millions of dollars of outstanding fine imposed under the cruel, abhorrent, and unconstitutional law? Well that’s why Michael is taking the government to court over the issue.

And then baseball. After a huge brawl last week we wonder why players are never charged criminally. The law would never allow grown men to throw punches in normal work places. Why is it ok on the field? And what about pitchers intentionally throwing at batters? Michael wrote about fighting in baseball for Canadian Lawyer Magazine and we go between the chalk to break down the issue..

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