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Objection! A podcast about injustices, big and small

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Hosted by Kelly Doctor and Nadine Blum

“We have to do something about this.”

In this four-part podcast mini-series, Kelly and Nadine explore the ways the law can be used to fight injustices, big and small.

Join Kelly and Nadine as they speak to activists, lawyers and others about unpaid work; Ontario’s punitive inmate phone system; non-conviction records; and Ontario’s ineffective daycare system. Don’t miss any of the episodes.

Episodes

Unpaid work: Why making it illegal won’t make it stop

Sheila’s employer broke the law. But Sheila didn’t want to fight back. And she’s not alone. Workplace blitzes find that up to 75% of employers are violating basic workplace standards, but only a small number of non-unionized employees take steps to enforce their rights.

In this episode Kelly and Nadine talk to Josh Mandryk (Goldblatt Partners) and John No (Parkdale Community Legal Services) about the reasons why workers don’t come forward to enforce their rights and what can be done to get employers to obey the law.

Special guests: Mandy Wojcik, Justin Amaral, Derrick McIntosh, Ada Roberts, Christine Mainville.

Episode 2: You can’t call me on my cell phone

People in provincial jails are paying unreasonable fees to use the phone. Someone is profiting – but it’s not who you might think.

Nadine and Kelly speak to lawyer Michael Spratt (Abergel Goldstein & Partners and host of The Docket), Irene Mathias (Mothers Offering Mutual Support), and “Annie Body” (a former inmate) about how the prison phone system is creating a barrier to rehabilitation, and may even violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Bonus Episode: Kale chips and lawsuits

What would Howard say is his most notable case? Which arbitration win was the most meaningful for Cathy? What was at stake in Peter’s most significant case? What case has occupied Natai for four years and why is it so important? How was Dan able to help a court *see* his client?

In this short bonus episode, GP lawyers discuss some of their most memorable cases, and what they snack on as they toil on their legal submissions.

Episode 3: Childcare paradigm shift

Fed up with what felt like a mug’s game of searching for a daycare spot for her son, lawyer Nadine Blum says “enough is enough” when daycare providers asked for fees, just to get on their waitlist. With her colleague, Kelly Doctor, she sets out to change the law, only to realize that long lasting change will require a fundamental shift about who we think daycare is for.

Daycare advocate Sarah Ehrhardt contrasts her experience as a parent in Sweden and in Toronto, and lawyer Louis Century provides insight into how international law could be used as a tool to build a better daycare system.

Episode 4: When does “not guilty” result in a life sentence?

Francisco made a mistake; but he wasn’t guilty of a crime. Yet his interaction with the police cost him a job and almost cost him a career.

Kelly and Nadine speak with lawyers Erin Simpson and Emma Phillips about why the Human Rights Code should be expanded to provide protection from discrimination for people who were accused, but were never convicted, of a crime.

What are people saying?

Objection is written by: Kelly Doctor and Nadine Blum

Produced by: Ellie Gordon-Moershel

Artwork by: Annette Blum

Music Credits:

Action by Monplaisir
Gross (Glee Cross Revisited) by Jahzzar
Virtues Inherited, Vices Passed On by Chris Zabriskie
Bodies by Jahzzar
Thoughtful by Lee Rosevere
Shoegaze by Jahzzar
Another Version of You by Chris Zabriskie
Dogs & Cats by Jahzzar