Areas of Focus
What I do: Professionally, Educationally, Additionally
Professional Area of Focus
In professional practice I focus on all things litigation. I prefer to do appeals and judicial reviews, that is to argue points of law, but I also do routine applications and trials. I am happy to take litigation requests for pretty well every area of law except trial family law. I do not do family law and I am unlikely to take a family law appeal unless the matter is something I am comfortable with. The reasons for this are entirely personal. In litigation you are helping one party and causing distress for the other, regardless of who is right. I would rather not do that to a family and the psycho-emotional impacts that flow from the tragic collapse of families. I do respect the necessity and difficulty of family law barristers and solicitors, but it is not for me.
Legal Works and Research
Constitutional Law
A (written) constitution is the embodiment of the social contract between the citizens and the state. Just as with a regular contract care must be taken not to allow repudiation by conduct. It is in this manner I call myself a "Constitutional Irredentist"
Actual Questions of Vires, or Why Quebec’s ‘Vaccination Tax’ is Unconstitutional
Why(how) the European Court of Justice Considers the European Legal Order as a New Legal Order
Administrative Law
Many, perhaps most, will never set foot in a courtroom, but every single person is under, goes through, and deals with the administrative state daily. The administrative state from the DMV to the Lieutenant-Governor in Council pose, I maintain, the single greatest replete threat to the rule of law and the constitution that keeps said rule in check. (Spoiler, I tend to be a heavy critic of administrative law...).
B.C. Restaurants and Venues Beware – Take Dr. Bonnie Henry’s Advice at your Own Peril
Consumer or Competition, Theory and Effect of Article 101 of the EU
Philosophy of Law
The Philosophy of Law is the direct bridge point between law as applied philosophy and philosophy itself simplicitor. The Philosophy of Law is the bedrock to statutory interpretation, legislative intent, and to what degree international and ethical considerations play a part on the operative legal stage. Often my works, even those more directly based on legal analysis are laced with legal philosophical considerations.
This is Between You, Me, and Something Else – Defining Public Policy in Private Law Adjudication (2nd Ed Updated 2021)
In for a penny, in for a pound, or why not accepting cash is at the peril of the vendor
The Burdens of Self-Represented Litigants Within the Court System
Legal Terminology, Interpretation, Ethics, and Everything Else
With my philosophy background I have a particular care for the true and accurate use of a word, whether that is in an every day context, or more importantly a legal or academic context. If you say "decimate" when you really mean "annihilate" well...
Blue Sky Buzz, Privacy and Data Protection
Already There, No Need for a Novel ‘Fair Use’ Amendment to the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth)
Proposing a Contemporary Legal Professional Moral Framework and an Analysis of such issues found in the Novel ‘Exile’
Philosophy and Theology
Metaphysics
Being the study of the nature of the very existence of everything, metaphysics is perhaps the single most important area of philosophy in its own right with the subfield of ontology (the study of the properties of an entity) being an important interest to me as well. To know what reality really is, what objects, thought, and to discern between that which is material or immaterial is a task of metaphysics. From the early philosophers of the Ionian cities of Asia Minor to today one must think about what things are to ever speak about them intelligently.
Metaphysically I cannot come to an acceptance of a purely material world and in conversation you will find that I track closely with Immanuel Kant's transcendental idealism.
When it comes to science and inductive reasoning I more or less track closely with Bas van Fraassen's "Empirical Adequacy" approach flavoured with Kuhn and Popper.
Epistemology
Foundationalism, then after that foundation is established I am open to discussing any other format of knowledge. However, any format that goes against or rejects the necessity for a foundation I have yet to see any merit in (i.e. no coherentism).
Theology
Theologically speaking, I have great interest in the internal thought of the world's great religions. I naturally gravitate most directly on the christian and pre-christian schools. I also enjoy the implications and discussions of mid-east, tribal/animistic, and far-east religious doctrine. Pagan theology is perhaps something I care the least about.
Music & Other Media
Music
Although it has been a few years since I have composed any new works. My most recent work (several years old now) is inspired in part by early Genesis of Old Testament:
Narration and Recordings
A project in semi-hiatus and one I intend to continue as I have several works part recorded is a series of minorly editorialized narrations of important political, philosophical, legal, and historical works:
Podcasts
I currently do not host a podcast but do get called as a guest from time to time.