JPs need law degrees, Liberal says

Ontario should require new justices of the peace (JP) to have worked as lawyers for five years to cut down on errors and boost confidence in the court system, Liberal MPP David Orazietti (Sault Ste. Marie) says in a private member’s bill. York political science Professor Ian Greene, an expert in the Charter of Rights & Freedoms, said the change is “long overdue” with JPs now handling police requests for search warrants, bail hearings and trials on charges under the provincial offences act more often than in the past, reported the Toronto Star, May 31. Read full story.

Call to raise standards for justices of the peace
High-profile criminal defence lawyer and Osgoode Hall Law School alumnus Brian Greenspan is throwing his support behind the move by Liberal MPP David Orazietti to raise the qualification standards for Ontario justices of the peace, reported the Waterloo Region Record, May 31. Read full story.

Stats and strategies not just for Moneyball
The 2011 Brad Pitt movie Moneyball tells the story of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Bean, who revolutionized baseball by analyzing data to identify players who could help his team. In a similar vein, Schulich Professor Murat Kristel says the school’s new Master of Science in Business Analytics Program aims to equip grads with the skills to crunch lots of data and integrate it to enhance a company’s competitive edge, reported the The Globe and Mail, May 31. Read full story.