Pro Bono Radio

About Pro Bono Radio

From Queen’s Faculty of Law, students from Pro Bono Canada tackle contemporary issues from a law students’ perspective.

Publisher

Pro Bono Queen's

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

11 Apr 2023

Latest episode

3 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

24 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Jun 2026

   “Wait… That Was My Job?”: An Overview of Tort Liability in Summer Jobs

   Summer jobs are a part of almost every young adult’s life. As we leave behind the carefree innocence of our youth, we begin to take on the responsibilities of being an employee. Despite this, we often don’t stop to consider what responsibilities we are actually taking on. Whether you’re a scooper at your local ice cream shop, a coach for a soccer team, or a staff member at a day camp, you are not just challenged with the performance of these tasks, but also with the duty to ensure these tasks are being performed to an adequate standard. In this episode, Gilad interviews Heidi Brown, a personal injury lawyer and partner at Bogoroch & Associates LLP, to give an overview of the field of Tort Liability. By providing a series of hypothetical problems that a summer camp counsellor may face on the job, this episode seeks to help people understand concepts like “Duty of Care” and “Standard of Care”, while clarifying what you should be reasonably able to expect to be held liable for in the workplace and who ends up being held responsible. Will you be held liable? Will your boss? Should you even be liable at all? Through this conversation, Gilad and Heidi seek to address the general inquiries the average new employee may face before entering the workforce via a summer job. Gilad Maianski – Producer, Host, Editor Heidi R. Brown – Special Guest Pro Bono Radio is part of the Queen’s chapter of Pro Bono Students Canada. The Pro Bono Radio team are not lawyers, and this is not legal advice. Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and Stitcher!

2. 

   2 Jun 2026

   Bringing Claims from Abroad: the Procedural Significance of Nevsun

   In 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada released its landmark decision in Nevsun Resources Ltd. v. Araya (Nevsun), a case that reshaped how Canadian courts engage with international law in domestic litigation. The case arose from allegations that a Canadian mining company, operating abroad, was complicit in serious human rights abuses, including forced labour, at the Bisha Mine in Eritrea. The Court was tasked with answering a foundational question: how should international law be treated in Canadian courts? Specifically, must it be proven as fact through evidence, or can it be recognized and applied as law? The Supreme Court held that customary international law forms part of Canadian common law and should generally be treated as law, not fact. This means that well-established international norms—such as prohibitions on slavery, forced labour, and torture—do not require proof through expert evidence. Courts may take judicial notice of them and apply them directly. This marked a significant procedural shift, lowering barriers for plaintiffs seeking to advance human rights claims tied to Canadian actors operating abroad. In this episode, the discussion explores how Nevsun reframes the role of international law in Canadian litigation. After unpacking the Court’s reasoning, with a particular focus on Justice Abella’s interpretation of customary international law, the episode contrasts the majority’s emphasis on access to justice with the dissent’s concerns about judicial overreach and institutional limits. While Nevsun does not guarantee successful claims or transform Canadian courts into global tribunals, it signals a shift in judicial confidence. International law is no longer something courts must be persuaded exists; it is something they are entitled to recognize. Padraigh Brady – Producer, Host, Editor Pro Bono Radio is part of the Queen’s chapter of Pro Bono Students Canada. The ProBono Radio team are not lawyers, and this is not legal advice. Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and Stitcher Research Referred to in the Podcast: Nevsun Resources Ltd v Araya, 2020 SCC 5, [2020] 1 S.C.R. 166. R v Hape, 2007 SCC 26, [2007] 2 S.C.R. 292. “Transnational Canadian Corporations Can Be Liable Under Customary International Law for Human Rights Abuses: The Phoenix Flies in Nevsun v Araya,” (12 January 2021)

3. 

   2 Jun 2026

   Understanding Ponzi Schemes and White-Collar Crime

   In this episode, Mehik and Eniayo examine white-collar crime and, more specifically, Ponzi schemes. The discussion begins by challenging common assumptions about what crime looks like and who commits it. While crime is often associated with violence and visible harm, white-collar crime operates quietly, often within trusted community spaces, and can cause devastating financial and emotional consequences. After explaining how Ponzi schemes function, including how early investors are paid using funds from later investors to create the illusion of profit, Mehik and Eniayo turn to R v Johnson, a 2010 decision of the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench. In Johnson, more than 50 individuals were defrauded of approximately $2.43 million through a Ponzi scheme that relied heavily on personal trust and community relationships. Many of the victims were members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, where the offender served as an assistant pastor. Following a close examination of the court’s reasoning and sentencing decision, including the 13-year custodial sentence and restitution order, Mehik and Eniayo consider broader themes of victim impact, deterrence, and the perception that white-collar offenders receive lenient treatment. The episode also explores the broader social implications of white-collar crime, particularly how fraud committed through positions of authority can weaken public trust in institutions and communities. The episode concludes by reflecting on a lyric from Woody Guthrie’s Pretty Boy Floyd, inviting listeners to reconsider how society defines crime, harm, and responsibility. Mehik Khatra and Eniayo Akinyemi – Producers, Hosts, Editors Music by: https://www.youtube.com Artist: Bob Dylan License code: N/A Pro Bono Radio is part of the Queen’s chapter of Pro Bono Students Canada. The Pro Bono Radio team are not lawyers, and this is not legal advice. Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and Stitcher! Research Referred to in the Podcast: James Chen, “Ponzi Scheme: Definition, Examples, and Origins” (last modified 26 January 2025), online: <https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/ponzischeme.asp> [https://web.archive.org/web/20251118085621/https://www.investopedia.com/ter ms/p/ponzischeme.asp]. Michelle de Hass, “Punishing White-Collar Crime in Canada: Issues with the Economic Model of Crime and Punishment” (2021) 59:1 Alberta Law Review 201. R v Johnson, 2010 ABQB 546.

Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

66

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

27

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