Ben Makuch’s reporting on national and international security issues has taken him from Eastern Europe to talking to Canadian foreign fighters to challenging the Canadian government in the Supreme Court over protections for journalists. Over the magic of the internet, Stephanie sits down with Ben and they talk about his latest reporting on far right extremism and white nationalist movements in Canada, the United States, Ukraine and the growing links between these movements. Is law enforcement paying enough attention and are they prepared to take on this threat? This podcast was recorded on 26 February 2020.
Read MoreCraig and Stephanie beamed in Steven Hoffman, the Director of the Global Strategy Lab, a Professor of Global Health, Law, and Political Science at York University, and the Scientific Director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Institute of Population & Public Health. We do a deep dive into the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Steven discusses the significance of this novel virus and walks us through the global and national legal and policy response — this is very much a response that is supposed to be guided by law, and especially something most people have never heard of: the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations (2005). Steven discusses why the evidence-based response to an outbreak is counterintuitive — travel bans are generally a bad idea. He grades the global response, and also the Canadian response to date. There is lot in this podcast, and it now more than a theoretical discussion given the trajectory of this outbreak.
Read MoreThere has been a lot of discussion in the media about 5G, but not a lot of information on what 5G actually is and how it is different from what has come before. Stephanie sits down with Ericsson’s VP, Chief Technology Officer, David Everingham who breaks it all down – even though Stephanie keeps trying to switch the analogies all back to cake. A useful episode for those looking for a bit of tech-support in trying to think through the challenging policy issues.
Read MoreUsing the magic of the internet once again, Stephanie sits down with Leah and Mike to discuss developments in two terrorism cases: Peshdary and Ali. In the former, Leah talks to Peshdary’s legal team to work through what a “Wilson Application” is and why a defence team might use it in a national security case. Turning to Ali, Mike discusses the findings of the Court and asks when is a terrorist group not a group? Our terrorism legislation is not making anything easy…
Read MoreThe fact that crimes committed by individuals appearing to be motivated by some ideologies (such as far right extremism) are considered as “hate crimes” and not “terrorist offences” has been a frequent theme of Intrepid Podcast. In this week’s episode, recorded on the second anniversary of the Quebec Mosque Shooting, Stephanie sits down (over the internet) with Michael Nesbitt who has done some work to actually put some numbers to this phenomenon. Why is it that 53/54 terrorism offenses were charged by people who subscribe to a particular ideology (Al Qaida-Islamic State inspired extremism)? And what does that mean for the way we prosecute these offenses in the future?
Read MoreWe talk jus ad bellum (right to use force) and jus in bello (the law of armed conflict) in relation to US-Iran military clashes between 27 December and 8 January, including the downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752.
Read MoreWith news that the Sussexes may be leaving the UK for Canada, Stephanie is FINALLY interested in Crown issues but Craig is not (we call it Craigxit). Nevertheless, Phil walks through Prince Harry’s status/non-status in Canada and, using recent reports about former Governor Generals in the news, describes what his powers would be.
Read MoreWell, tear yourself away from Alan Maitland’s reading of “The Shepherd”, because it’s time for the second annual INTREPID Christmas special, an event literally no one was waiting for. This time, it’s armed conflict at the top of the world, as Santa Claus (ruler of Christmastown) squares off against Boss Elf (the leader of the Island of Misfit Toys dictatorship). Everything goes wrong, until the Christmas Magic arrives.
Read MoreBecause of the proceedings underway before the International Court of Justice today (10 December 2019) concerning Myanmar’s genocide against the Rohingya, Stephanie and Craig to a walk-through of the crime of genocide, the 1948 Genocide Convention, the basis for ICJ jurisdiction and also the parallel criminal investigation launched by the (separate) International Criminal Court. It’s international law day.
Read MoreJessica Davis and Michael Nesbitt sit down with Stephanie to discuss sanctions in light of a new case in Nova Scotia. Nader Kalai is the first person to be charged with violating Canadian and European Union sanctions on Syria.
Read MoreFor those who love weedy public law issues, Stephanie, Philippe and Craig finally steer back to the national security preoccupation of INTREPID, in this latest HMIROP chapter. Specifically, they mix it up (fight) over the scope of the royal prerogative over defence in Canadian law.
Read MoreThis episode the Intrepid Gang takes on four important national security trials that have been in the news and have important implications for national security law.
Read MoreStephanie and Craig are back with Philippe Lagassé and special guest Adam Dodek, dean of the Faculty of Law (Common Law Section) at uOttawa. It’s time to bring the constitution up to date! In this episode, we focus on the Constitution Act 1982 and its headline components, especially the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, “aboriginal” rights, and how the constitution can be amended through amendment formulas.
Read MoreRecent weeks have seen dramatic changes in the Middle East – Trump’s withdrawal from Syria, the killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the return of mass popular protests in the region. Oh, and Iran just announced it will restart 1000 centrifuges in the latest blow to the nuclear agreement. To make sense of it all, Stephanie sat down (using the magic of the internet) to speak with Intrepid Podcast Editors Amarnath Amarasingam and Thomas Juneau about these developments and what we might expect in the coming months.
Read MoreThe moment you have been waiting for! Stephanie, Craig and Philippe Lagassé are back for the next chapter in Canada’s rollicking constitutional history. In this chapter, we cover events from 1867 to 1982: imperial conferences, controversies and, not to be missed, the Colonial Laws Validity Act and the Statute of Westminster Act. A sideways dash through the King-Byng affair. And then a fast forward through to the Patriation Controversy on the early 1980s. Stephanie required adrenaline shots, but got through it.
Read MoreIntrepid Podcast Editors, Leah West and Amar Amarasingam travelled to the Kurdish-controlled camps in Syria where Islamic State prisoners are being held. This was a week before US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw troops from the region, causing chaos in an already fragile situation
Read MoreStephanie and Craig are back with Philippe Lagassé, for the second installment of our special feature: Her Majesty in Right of Pod, a deep-dive on the origins of Canadian public law and constitutional law.
Read MoreStephanie and Craig are back with their first “explainer” episode for this new season, focusing on a specific area of national security law. This week, they rip an issue from the headlines in the United States. They examine how whistleblower protection works in Canadian law for members of the public service generally, the main intelligence services, and in the context of the Security of Information Act.
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