Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Barrister]

I still don't understand why still go to an office? Exposing yourself too so much risk so you can sit infront of a different computer?

So as of a couple of weeks ago we're back to working from home if able.

But there's a few different reasons.  For starters only certain courts can be done remotely.  If I have a trial I have to be physically present.  Second it's just a lot more comfortable - I'm not perched in my tiny office / junk room working off a small laptop, but rather in a full-size office with comfy chair and docking station.

Plus I feel like there's little risk in my individual office.

Plus of course I have kids, and it's really hard to get work done with them around.

[Grey Fox]

I still don't understand why still go to an office? Exposing yourself too so much risk so you can sit infront of a different computer?

A lot of what BB does involves highly confidential information that really should be staying in his secured office area.

Some of my projects are military hardware, steps can be taken to keep things secure.

[Barrister]

I still don't understand why still go to an office? Exposing yourself too so much risk so you can sit infront of a different computer?

A lot of what BB does involves highly confidential information that really should be staying in his secured office area.

Not really, no.

I mean yes the contents of my files are not for public dissemination.  But everything is electronic these days, and I can access those files almost as easily at home as I can from my office.

Now I've heard stories about what the lawyers in Specialized Prosecutions have to do with their child porn files.  Again it's still all electronic, but they have special computers not connected to the internet or network on which those files are kept.  But we don't do anything like that.

[crazy canuck]

I still don't understand why still go to an office? Exposing yourself too so much risk so you can sit infront of a different computer?

A lot of what BB does involves highly confidential information that really should be staying in his secured office area.

Not really, no.

I mean yes the contents of my files are not for public dissemination.  But everything is electronic these days, and I can access those files almost as easily at home as I can from my office.

Now I've heard stories about what the lawyers in Specialized Prosecutions have to do with their child porn files.  Again it's still all electronic, but they have special computers not connected to the internet or network on which those files are kept.  But we don't do anything like that.

Interesting.  We are moving to all electronic - but there are still some paper based outliers that need to work in the office.  I really don't want them taking those files home.  Personally I am almost totally remote now but there is the odd occasion I need to go in to look files that predate my move to electronic document management.

I am happy to hear the crown is ahead of the curve on that. 

[DGuller]

I wonder if the legal profession will embrace remote court sessions after Covid.  Based on my somewhat personal experience, a lot of court dates are a tremendously inefficient way to meet for five minutes to schedule the next five minute court date five months from now.

[Barrister]

I wonder if the legal profession will embrace remote court sessions after Covid.  Based on my somewhat personal experience, a lot of court dates are a tremendously inefficient way to meet for five minutes to schedule the next five minute court date five months from now.

I think there's no doubt that in my little corner of the legal world we're not going to go back to the way it was.  I think it will be an even bigger difference in the rural areas.

[Barrister]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/us-uk-vaccinations-start-december-canada-silent-1.5814176

A little CBC article about how the US and UK are starting to talk about very specific measures to book the first Covid vaccinations, but little has come out of Ottawa.  Article points out that Canada, unlike US, UK and Germany, has no domestic vaccine manufacturing capability.

Which all has got me to thinking... I was highly critical over the summer of the government's seeming reliance on the deal it struck with CanSino Biologics.  The vaccine candidate was developed by CanSino (founded by Chinese nationals who had spent a good part of their lives in Canada), but was to be tested in Canada.  Part of the deal was that we would then manufacture CanSino's vaccine ourselves.

Of course the deal fell apart when the Chinese government refused to authorize the sending of the vaccine candidate to Canada.  I think that was formally ended in the end of August.

Since then the Canadian government had bought large numbers of samples of all the top vaccine candidates - almost 10x more than our entire population.

But the question is... when do we get those vaccines?  Will the US and UK get priority before Canada (or other countries) do?

[crazy canuck]

I wonder if the legal profession will embrace remote court sessions after Covid.  Based on my somewhat personal experience, a lot of court dates are a tremendously inefficient way to meet for five minutes to schedule the next five minute court date five months from now.

I agree with BB that there will be a number of permanent changes.  Procedural hearing by telephone have always been a thing but frowned upon if you didnt have a good excuse for not attending in person.  All that is now changed and I don't see it switching back.  Another huge change is forcing courts and lawyers to finally embrace the digital age and move to electronic document management systems for hearings.  There may be the odd case where there is an original hard copy document that needs to be adduced into evidence but that is rare and will become more rare.  I actually can't remember the last time I saw document that started out life in paper form.

The big stumbling block is hearings where the judge needs to decide questions of credibility.  Almost all the non verbal visual cues are lost when seeing a witness over a video link.  Also, you have no idea who else is in the room with them or what they are looking at that might aid their testimony.  As an example, I once won a case that turned entirely on credibility because the judge noticed the witness was looking to a certain person in the gallery whenever I asked her a hard question in cross examination.

[viper37]

In our Ontario offices (we have three) you need to wear a mask if your in a common area, even the cubicle farm areas. You can only go mask free in an office if you're alone. Also have an online questionnaire you have to fill out everyday.

We do the same.

I have none of that.  Maybe I should talk to my boss... oh, wait...

[viper37]

Now I've heard stories about what the lawyers in Specialized Prosecutions have to do with their child porn files.  Again it's still all electronic, but they have special computers not connected to the internet or network on which those files are kept.  But we don't do anything like that.

I've heard cops and customs officials have counseling for dealing with that kind of material on a regular basis; is it the same for prosecutors?  It's got to be hard for a normal human being to watch this regularly.  And, oh, "what do you do for work?  - I watch kiddie porn all day." - gotta be strange in a conversation

[Grey Fox]

While not illegal, I have a coworker that his son is an engineer at Pornhub. Apparently, it weighs on you after a time.

[viper37]

While not illegal, I have a coworker that his son is an engineer at Pornhub. Apparently, it weighs on you after a time.

I have no doubt.  They got to look at the content as part of their work, and that also means filtering the stuff that can't be there.

[viper37]

I wonder if the legal profession will embrace remote court sessions after Covid.  Based on my somewhat personal experience, a lot of court dates are a tremendously inefficient way to meet for five minutes to schedule the next five minute court date five months from now.

I think there's no doubt that in my little corner of the legal world we're not going to go back to the way it was.  I think it will be an even bigger difference in the rural areas.

It's a way to greatly reduce legal fees for rural areas.

[viper37]

But the question is... when do we get those vaccines?  Will the US and UK get priority before Canada (or other countries) do?

Your favorite current Prime Minister  has answered that today:
The vaccine will not be late, nor will it be early, it will arrive precisely when it means to.
I am paraphrasing (a little ), but that's the gist of it.  He said, textually, that nations were the vaccine was developed would get it first but Canada will get it shortly after, but that we would not have to wait until an entire population has been vaccinated. 
I think I was more precise than he was.
Canada is aiming early 2021 for the beginning of vaccination and that'll likely be up to the provinces to decide who gets it first.  My guess is they'll vaccinate healthcare workers first, than population at risk, than general population.

[viper37]

Another huge change is forcing courts and lawyers to finally embrace the digital age and move to electronic document management systems for hearings.  There may be the odd case where there is an original hard copy document that needs to be adduced into evidence but that is rare and will become more rare.  I actually can't remember the last time I saw document that started out life in paper form.

Some of our specialized tribunal still require paper forms for specific filings.  The documents are filled by hand, then they are scanned and uploaded to the government agency's site.   
I've only seen it once or twice.  Most documents can now be filled online in an editable PDF.  Quebec Revenu agency is still extremely annoying about faxing documents and so is healthcare <sigh>, but at least in healthcare, things are changing.  Our health minister looks extremely tired ever since he took the job.  No wonder.