On September 18, 2014, following an open call for project proposals, the LCO Board of Governors approved five new projects to be undertaken as resources permit.
We have begun work in two of these new projects. For project updates and to find out how you can get involved in our Improving the Law Stages of Life project, and our project on Defamation Law in the Age of the Internet, please visit our respective project pages.
The other three projects are:
Work on the remaining three projects will begin as we complete projects currently underway. We are creating databases of individuals and organizations interested in any of the upcoming projects; there are always many ways to be involved. If you have an interest in any of these projects, please let us know by signing up for project updates, by email at lawcommission@lco-cdo.org, or by phone at 416-650-8406, 1-866-950-8406 (toll-free) or 1-877-650-8082 (TTY).
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The Redefining Parentage project is designed to develop a systematic way to address issues arising from new reproductive technologies and evolving conceptions of the family. While court cases have dealt with some of these issues, and other jurisdictions have made some strides, the province of Ontario presently lacks a legislative framework that acknowledges how parenting relationships have changed over the past few decades.
There are many issues this project must address, including parenting rights of third party donors, and whether the circumstances of the donation and the agreement among the parties at that time affect the answer, the rights of single persons who choose to have children, the difference between social and biological relationships as far as recognition of parenting is concerned, the status of multi-party relationships and more.
Multifaceted Approaches to Community Safety
In November 2013, the LCO held a day long forum on integrated approaches to community safety to bring together experts who have used different social organizations and expertise (education, social services, community organizations, mental health expertise, among others) to forestall young people falling into criminal activity or in helping them when they are released from prison from feeling they have no choice because of lack of options to repeat mistakes. These approaches assume that the police should not be the only institution responsible for community safety as legislation now provides.
In the Multifaceted Approaches to Community Safety project, the LCO seeks to better understand alternative mechanisms and roles for enhancing community safety including how other jurisdictions have benefited from initiatives that have coordinated a range of different expertise. The report will lay the foundation for designing effective multidisciplinary approaches to community safety for Ontario and possibly create a legislative framework.
Regulation of Public Space
The project relating to Regulation of Public Space will take a multidisciplinary approach to explore issues that include the following: What is public space? What is the interrelationship between public and private space? What is the role of design in affecting the use of public space? What is needed for public space to be accessible and safe for all users? The project will look at the issue from the perspective of different Ontario communities. The purpose of the project is to provide guidelines, or identifying factors and variables, to be taken into account when legislating on different matters affecting public space.