University of Alberta Faculty of Law Blog

Assange confronts Australian Prime Minister

Julian Assange confronts Julia Gillard on Australian television:

 

Integrity of the Income Tax System at Risk

Taxation is the involuntary (generally) expropriation of one's money. As such, it is particularly important that the strictest of controls are used in the administration of the system. If the rule of law does not operate in relation to taxation, then the integrity of the entire system of generating public revenue is threatened.

These observations are exceedingly obivious. So the news coming out of Quebec suggesting that auditors are accepting kickbacks should give us all cause for concern.

This Globe & Mail article details some of the goings on: Globe. The section about the offshoring of kickbacks is particularly situationally ironic.

The First Amendment and Bill O'Reilly

Bill O'Reilly had Megyn Kelly on his show last night to debate the Westboro Church decision and  Bill was predictably irate over the decision.  Kelly, a lawyer, tries to explain the First Amendment and educate Bill.  Oh, and Bill hates loopholes.

 

Kelly and O'Reilly previously sparring over Westboro:

 

Westboro has the right to protest

In a 8-1 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the infamous Westboro Baptist Church has a right to protest.  Chief Justice John Roberts: "Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and– as it did here– inflict great pain...On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker."  Justice Alito was the lone dissenter.