CURRENT NEWS – On September 30th, Christopher Devlin will be speaking about overlapping claims at Pacific Business and Law Institute's Consultation and Accommodation 2010 Update in Vancouver. See the Pacific Business and Law Institute website link for details about the conference.

On June 25th, West Moberly filed a second judicial review application, seeking to quash or to stay mining permits issued by BC to First Coal Corporation that affect core habitat for an endangered woodland caribou herd. While the province issued a caribou plan on June 18th, West Moberly believes it is deficient accommodation of their Treaty rights. See our West Moberly First Nations page under the Litigation link.

On June 11, 2010, Christopher Devlin presented a paper entitled "Crown Delegation and the Duty to Consult" to the CBA's National Aboriginal Law Conference in Toronto. To view this paper, see our Publications page.

On May 31, 2010, Christopher Devlin appeared as a witness before the Senate Committee on Human Rights to make submissions respecting Bill S-4 Matrimonial Property on Reserve Act. On behalf of the Canadian Bar Association, Aboriginal Law and Family Law Sections, Christopher encouraged the senators to make several amendments to the Bill to achieve a better balance between the rights of individuals upon the breakup of conjugal relationships and the rights of First Nations to their reserve lands. For more information, including the CBA's written brief on Bill S-4, see our Law Reform page.

On May 11, 2010, Christopher Devlin and Tim Thielmann gave presentations at Insight's 6th Annual Western Canada Aboriginal Law Forum in Vancouver. Christopher spoke about the McIvor decision and Bill C-3. Tim spoke about the Crown duty to preserve species of significance to Aboriginal people. To view their papers, see our Publications page.

On April 15, 2010, Christopher Devlin appeared as a witness before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs to make submissions respecting Bill C-3 Gender Equity in Indian Registration Act. On behalf of the Canadian Bar Association, Aboriginal Law Section, Christopher encouraged the committee to use the opportunity of Bill C-3 to eliminate sex discrimination in the Indian Act. For more information, including the CBA's written brief on Bill C-3, see our Law_Reform page. The background to Bill C-3 is the BC Court of Appeal's decision in McIvor v. Canada. For more information, see our Links page.