April 25, 2008 - Free access to NRS Databases
Effective June 1, 2008 Maritime Law Book will provide free access to over 215,000 cases in our 12 databases that cover every common law jurisdiction in Canada plus the House of Lords and Privy Council (U.K.).No registration is required. And the databases are searchable.
Free access is limited to the judgment without a headnote. Also the free access does not include the MLB Key Number System.
Existing subscribers will continue to have access to our time saving headnote material at existing prices. And note that all users will now have access to all 215,000 cases.
Access to the B.C.T.C. and O.T.C. databases will be free, including those cases that have been assigned key numbers.
The 12 databases include an estimated 17,000 cases from the 1960s and the 1970s that are not on CANLII.
April 25, 2008 - Statutes of New Brunswick
In 2002 the New Brunswick Queen's Printer stopped publishing in print the Statutes of New Brunswick. The Queen's Printer granted Maritime Law Book Ltd. a license to print the Statutes of New Brunswick for the years 2002 to 2007. Each annual volume is priced at $125 plus 7% GST plus shipping and handling of $7. Contact us for the purchase of any of these volumes.April 25, 2008 - Professional Conduct for Lawyers and Judges (Third Edition) by Beverley G. Smith (Professor Emeritus UNB)
In 2007 a revised, updated and consolidated edition of this text was released, including a new chapter on "The Lawyer and the Computer". This text is an up-to-date authoritative reference for all your legal ethical questions.April 25, 2008 - RSS Feed and Free email Notification
This service is free to subscribers.Subscribers to MLB print publications or online services can be notified of new cases added to the databases in their area of interest.
Simply do your favorite key word or key number search and at the bottom of your results screen, choose either the RSS or email options. Follow the prompts to set up your feed and you will be notified of any new case added to the databases containing your search string or key number.
For help call 1-800-561-0220.
April 25, 2008 - MLB Bulletin Boards - Free
Posts and comments are welcome on legal issues. Anyone can use the discussion board to exchange ideas about legal issues and case law.Go to www.mlb.nb.ca and click on MLB Forums.
April 25, 2008 - Judicially Defined Words and Phrases
This service is free to subscribers.This type of search will find words and phrases that have been the subject of comment by a judge in a decision.
Go to www.mlb.nb.ca and click on the "Judicially Defined Words" link and type in the word or phrase you are looking for and click "continue". A list of cases will be presented, each containing the word or phrase searched for.
April 25, 2008 - Free Research Guides
These guides are available free and provide instruction on how to find case law. The guides also provide instruction on using the MLB Key Number System.The guides refer to some of the first principles of law. Presently three guides are available that cover the subjects of ethics, statutes and wills. Available free on request.
April 25, 2008 - Reminder to NRS Subscribers
MLB policy permits all persons working in a subscriber's office (one premise) to access the MLB headnotes and indexes. This access is limited by the databases subscribed to. Also the same persons are entitled to access from anywhere, including home.Unlike some of our competitors, MLB does not require a long term contract for web access to our headnote material and indexes.
February 15, 2005 - In-house Printing
In 2005 we started doing all of our printing in-house using digital printers. We believe that the quality of the digital printing is better than the offset printing provided in the past.We expect that in-house printing will improve the timeliness of our reports.
February 15, 2005 - Translations and the N.B.R.(2d) Supp.
The Official Languages Act, S.N.B. 2002, c. O-0.5, mandates the publication of all Court of Appeal decisions in both English and French. The Act also mandates the publication of decisions of other courts in both English and French where the decision contains a "question of law of interest or importance to the general public".In the future we will publish in print in the N.B.R.(2d) the translations required by the legislation. We will also publish in print in the N.B.R.(2d) untranslated cases that we deem useful to lawyers.
This new policy and the statutory changes have made obsolete the N.B.R.(2d) Supp., an all electronic supplement. The service has been discontinued.
February 15, 2005 - Reminder to NRS web subscribers.
MLB policy permits all persons working in a subscriber's office (one premise) to access the MLB web databases subscribed to. Also the same persons are entitle to access from anywhere, including home.February 15, 2005 - Rural Firms in New Brunswick save time!
Since 1999 the New Brunswick Law Society has provided its members with access to the NRS online at their local law society libraries. In a recent initiative the law society provided law society members in northeast New Brunswick with desktop acess to NRS online. These members no longer have to travel to their local library to access the NRS Online;We invite librarians at provincial law societies to contact us for details of how a law society can provide remote access to NRS caselaw for its members.
September 29, 2004 - Cancellation of advance parts in print.
Effective immediately and for all our series of reports Maritime Law Book will no longer publish advance parts in print.Many years ago we started publishing the advance parts to provide timely reporting pending the delivery of a bound volume. But today judicial decisions are available on our website within a few days of the date of release by the courts.
All of our subscriptions that include advance parts will automatically be converted to bound volume only subscriptions.
The advance parts service will not be available starting with the following volume numbers:
Alberta Reports - vol. 350
British Columbia Appeal Cases - vol. 197
Federal Trial Reports - vol. 249
Manitoba Reports (2d) - vol. 186
National Reporter - vol. 324
New Brunswick Reports (2d) - vol. 270
Newfoundland & Prince Edward Island
Reports - vol. 239
Nova Scotia Reports (2d) - vol. 224
Ontario Appeal Cases - vol. 188
Saskatchewan Reports - vol. 248
Western Appeal Cases - vol. 323
We are aware that some subscribers bind the advance parts. Any subscriber who would like to receive a second bound volume should contact our service representatives, as a 25% discount is available on the second bound volume subscription.
We are also aware that librarians circulate our print indexes from the advance parts. This practice can be continued by using the electronic topical indexes from each volume. These indexes are available on our website by search with the words MLB Topical Index (in either the Quick Search or Standard Search links). These indexes are available on our website until the bound volumes are mailed to subscribers.
We are also aware that the advance parts are used by lawyers to find recent cases for a specific point of law or for an area of the law, such as Damage Awards or Practice. Such a search for recent cases can be made on our web site. We provide detailed instructions on how to search for recent cases in a specific jurisdiction - click on "Searching databases for recent cases" on the opening screen.
August 24, 2004 - Growth of Web database content
Our Web databases now include over 165,000 documents. The approximate number of documents or cases in the main databases are as follows: A.R. 21,000; B.C.A.C. 9,000; B.C.T.C. 14,500; F.T.R. 17,000; Man.R.(2d) 10,500; N.B.R.(2d) 14,000; Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 11,000; N.R. 10,000; N.S.R.(2d) 13,500; O.A.C. 11,500; O.T.C. 20,000; Sask.R. 14,500.August 24, 2004 - Web introductory rates
New subscribers to our web databases are now entitled to a 50% reduction in rates for the first three months.August 24, 2004 - Free web trial period
New web users are now entitled to free access to our databases for the first 15 days.August 24, 2004 - Our indexes and headnotes can help!
Using indexes and headnotes saves time and money. Find a point of law by browsing a headnote or by browsing our topical key numbers - instead of reading a 50 page decision. MLB key numbers and links in MLB headnotes provide access to cases with similar points of law.Some researchers feel that headnotes and indexes are now more useful than ever because of the large volume of cases that result from a search. Headnotes and key numbers help to narrow or filter search results.
August 24, 2004 - Index to Unreported Cases
The Index to Unreported Cases will no longer be available in Cases Reported Supplements, but will continue in the bound volumes and in the digest volumes.August 24, 2004 - Appeal Notes discontinued
Appeal Notes will no longer be available in the Federal Trial Cases, in the Ontario Trial Cases, and in the British Columbia Trial Cases. Please use our website and particularly click on the Indexed As name in a headnote to get the history of a case.April 26, 2003 - Do you need headnotes?
Using headnotes saves time and money. Find a point of law by browsing a few words - instead of reading a 50 page decision. MLB key numbers and links in MLB headnotes provide access to cases with similar points of law.Some researchers feel that headnotes are now more useful than ever because of the large volume of unedited cases and the difficulties inherent in appraising large lists of unedited cases.
April 26, 2003 - Growth of Web database content
Our Web databases now include over 150,000 documents. The approximate number of documents or cases in the main databases are as follows:| Database Name | Number of documents |
|---|---|
| A.R. | 19,500 |
| B.C.A.C. | 8,000 |
| B.C.T.C. | 12,500 |
| F.T.R. | 15,000 |
| Man.R.(2d) | 10,000 |
| N.B.R.(2d) | 13,000 |
| Nfld. & P.E.I.R. | 10,500 |
| N.R. | 10,000 |
| N.S.R. | 13,000 |
| O.A.C. | 10,000 |
| O.T.C. | 16,000 |
| Sask.R. | 13,500 |
April 26, 2003 - Reminder to NRS web subscribers
MLB policy permits all persons working in a subscriber's office (one premise) to access the MLB web databases subscribed to. Also the same persons are entitled to access from anywhere, including home.April 26, 2003 - New Flat rate for small firms for web access
A flat rate of $165 per month for firms with 2 to 4 lawyers (one premise) is now available for access to all 14 databases on our web site.April 26, 2003 - New prices for Web access
Effective September 1, 2003 the prices for access to cases in the National Reporter System on the web are as follows:| PPV case | $4.00 (Note: no charge for searching) |
| Single database | $65 / month |
| All databases | $200 / month (one premise) |
| All databases, sole practitioner | $110 / month |
| All databasess, 2 to 4 lawyers in firm | $165 / month (one premise). |
The above rates do not apply to IP Access customers.
Please call us for IP Access rates and institutional library rates.
Note: the above price changes do not affect the free web access that MLB gives to print subscribers.
April 26, 2003 - Web - IP access to networks
MLB is now capable of providing IP access to our web databases.The price for this service is based on the number of maximum simultaneous users required by the subscriber. This new service is in place for a network at the University of Alberta.April 26, 2003 - New links in headnotes on the Web
To increase the effectiveness of searching our website, MLB introduced the following time saving links as of April 7, 2003:| Click on the cite at the top of headnote | the next screen will list other cases where this case was judicially considered. |
| Click on the Indexed As name | the next screen will list other decisions with the same "Indexed As" name (i.e. a case history). |
| Click on a topic number | the next screen will list other cases that have the same topic or point of law. |
| Click on a case name in Cases Noticed | the next screen will list other cases that referred to the case noticed. |
| Click on the citation following the case name in Cases Noticed | the next screen will show the full text of the case cited. |
| Click on a section number in Statutes Noticed | the next screen will list other cases where this section was judicially considered. |
October 4, 2002 - Termination of contract with Lexis
Effective September 1, 2002 the MLB databases are no longer available to Lexis subscribers. MLB elected not to renew the contract with Lexis which expired on September 1, 2002. The MLB databases continue to be available at www.mlb.nb.ca.October 4, 2002 - N.B.R.(2d) translations
Because of the provisions of the Official Languages Act, S.N.B. 2002, c. O-0.5, the N.B. Court of Appeal has stated that all decisions of the Court of Appeal must be released simultaneously in both official languages. Decisions of the Court of Queen's Bench will continue to be released in the language of the trial while some important cases may be translated before they are released.October 4, 2002 - In Progress - New web search tool
In the near future a link will be provided to get a hit list of cases interpreting a statute. For example, a click on the section number in a headnote will result in a list of cases that interpret that section.October 4, 2002 - Reminder to NRS web subscribers
MLB policy permits all persons working in a subscriber's office (one premise) to access the web databases subscribed to. Also the same persons are entitled to access from anywhere, including home.October 4, 2002 - Web IP access to networks
MLB is now capable of providing IP access to our web databases. The price for this service is based on the number of maximum simultaneous users required by the subscriber. This new service is in place for a network of libraries at the University of Alberta.October 4, 2002 - ISYS:Web 6.0
MLB recently purchased the web search software, ISYS:Web 6.0, from Odessey Development Inc. of Englewood, Colorado. ISYS:Web 6.0 replaces ISYS:Web 5.1 and is the latest version offered by Odessey. ISYS:Web 6.0 was recently installed on a new server and the following is a partial list of new features:- client ID tag available on both Standard search and on Quick Search;
- colourized hits;
- results can be sorted alphabetically, by size, etc.;
- document appearance improved, including indentation of quotes;
- French documents with proper accents;
- ability to display 10, 20 or 50 hits;
- more options for Query Within;
- option to search all forms of a word;
- ability to download a "clean" copy of a case.
October 4, 2002 - Flat rate for sole practitioners
A flat rate of $100 per month for sole practitioners is now available for access to all 14 databases on our web site.October 4, 2002 - Growth in Web database content
Nine series of MLB caselaw reports were started prior to 1991. Until recently the full text of cases dated prior to 1991 was not available on the MLB web site. The full text for cases dated prior to 1991 for the Alberta Reports, Federal Trial Cases, Manitoba Reports (2d), National Reporter, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island Reports, Nova Scotia Reports (2d), Ontario Appeal Cases and the Saskatchewan Reports, are now available on the MLB web site. The full text of pre 1991 cases for the New Brunswick Reports (2d) will be available by December 31, 2002.October 4, 2002 - Second edition of Professional Conduct for Lawyers and Judges
The second edition of Professional Conduct for Lawyers and Judges by Beverley G. Smith, Professor Emeritus, published in 2002, is now available. This authoritative reference for legal ethical questions is priced as follows:- $150 - loose leaf edition with $65 annual updates;
- $150 - bound edition, no updates;
- $65 - paperbound student edition, no updates.
October 15, 2001 - Links from key numbers in Key Number database
Starting in October 2001 a list of cases or a hit list can be generated by clicking on any key number in the linked versions of the Find a Key Number database. For example, by clicking on 5867 in the title Criminal Law, the next screen will list approx. 90 cases from all databases that deal with sentences for the crime of arson. The Query Within feature can be used to get a list of cases from only one province (for example, if you want only New Brunswick cases, in the Query Within search box type N.B.R.(2d) ... mlb and click on the OK button).October 15, 2001 - Growth in Web database content.
Our Web databases now include over 129,000 documents. The approximate number of documents or cases in the main databases are as follows: A.R. 17,190; B.C.A.C. 6,800; B.C.T.C. 8320; F.T.R. 12,020; Man.R.(2d) 8,900; N.B.R.(2d) 12,340; Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 9,800; N.R. 8,150; N.S.R.(2d) 12,400; O.A.C. 8,570; O.T.C.12,050; Sask.R. 12,420.The full text of pre 1991 cases will be available on our Web site in September 2002. Headnotes for pre 1991 cases are available in our web databases now.
October 15, 2001 - Flat rate for sole practitioners.
In September 2001 we announced a flat rate of $100 per month for sole practitioners for access to all 14 databases on our web site.October 15, 2001 - Invitation to full text subscribers to register on MLB website.
Many of our full text subscribers to print or electronic products do not take advantage of the free web site access to which they are entitled. Every full text subscriber is entitled to free access to the same series on our web site. Note that the web databases include unedited cases that are not included in our print products, i.e., the web provides access to all judgments, edited and unedited.If you are a full text subscriber, you can register on our web site or call us and we will register you and give you a user name and password. - please call 1-800-561-0220.
October 15, 2001 - Federal Trial Reports - publication policy change.
In the past we have published some FTR decisions in both English and French, with the two languages appearing side by side. These cases were mainly decisions where the original decision was in the French language. These cases amount to about 15% of all cases published in the FTRs. In the future all cases published in print in the FTRs will be in English only. However, all French language versions that we would have published in print in the past will be available in the FTR database on our Web site. This change will result in an increase in the number of cases published in each print volume.October 15, 2001 - Second edition of Professional Conduct for Lawyers and Judges.
Professor Emeritus Beverly G. Smith has agreed to author a second edition of his book Professional Conduct for Lawyers and Judges. The first edition was published in 1998. The second edition will be published in 2002.October 15, 2001 - MLB publication policy
Some publishers of Canadian case law reports publish a fixed number of pages per year regardless of the number of useful or significant cases. Our policy is to publish all cases that we feel would be useful to lawyers. In some years we publish more than our average and in other years we publish less than our average. We have found that by using our test for publication that we publish nearly all the reserve judgments of a court of appeal and about 60% of the trial judgments. The number of pages received from a particular court can vary from year to year. For example:| Nfld. | Alta. | B.C. | F.C.C. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | SCC | CA | QB | CA | TD |
| 1990 | 8966 | 561 | 5065 | 8195 | 5258 |
| 1991 | 5487 | 523 | 7316 | 9168 | 5458 |
| 1992 | 6902 | 997 | 5026 | 8694 | 8777 |
| 1993 | 8174 | 1318 | 6217 | 10891 | 6186 |
| 1994 | 6182 | 1161 | 8994 | 8406 | 11736 |
| 1995 | 7226 | 1349 | 7273 | 7818 | 11002 |
| 1996 | 6751 | 1726 | 7168 | 7265 | 11349 |
| 1997 | 6127 | 1573 | 7548 | 7661 | 10434 |
| 1998 | 4316 | 1474 | 7468 | 7405 | 13017 |
| 1999 | 3402 | 1459 | 6322 | 3921 | 12495 |
| 2000 | 4312 | 1269 | 8411 | 7024 | 15957 |
January 16, 2001 - Web price increase for per case viewing
Effective April 1, 2001 that the price of viewing on per case basis is increased from $2.00 per case to $3.00 per case. Note that the monthly subscription rates remain unchanged ($60/month per series or $180/month for all series).November 2000 - Price increases for print products.
Declining print subscriptions is a continuing problem for our firm. Since 1992 we have lost approx. 35% of our print subscriptions. But most of our expenses did not decrease during that period. Therefore, we had to increase our print prices. Note that since 1996 a print subscription includes free web access to the same series on our web site. This free access is a large bonus for a new subscriber who has free access to all volumes in a series (as many as 250 volumes).November 2000 - Links from key numbers in Key Number database.
In January 2000 we announced that within "60 days a searcher will be able to click on a key number in the Key Number Database and the next screen will list the relevant cases. We apologize that these links are still not available due to technical problems. Note that the same result can be obtained by typing a key number - see item number 3 in the Basic Search Guide (click on Search Guide on the opening screen of our Web site).November 2000 - Access to NRS databases at law society libraries.
Law society libraries and their members can now obtain free web access to the same NRS web databases for which the library has print subscriptions. The members will have access to 14 NRS databases and a method of payment must be arranged with MLB for the use of databases that are not free. Law libraries can arrange for such use by contacting MLB.November 2000 - Invitation to full text subscribers to register on MLB web site.
Many of our full text subscribers to print or electronic products do not take advantage of the free web site access to which they are entitled. Every full text subscriber is entitled to free access to the same series on our web site.If you are a full text subscriber you can register on our web site or call us and we will register you and give you a user name and password. - please call 1-800-561-0220.
November 2000 - Web database content.
Our Web databases now include over 120,000 documents. The approximate number of documents or cases in the main databases are as follows: A.R. 16,500; B.C.A.C. 6,000; B.C.T.C. 7,500; F.T.R. 11,000;Man.R.(2d) 8,500; N.B.R.(2d) 12,000; Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 9,500; N.R. 8,000; N.S.R.(2d) 12,000; O.A.C. 8,000; O.T.C.10,000; Sask.R. 12,000.The full text of pre 1991 cases will be available on our Web site in late 2002.
November 2000 - Second edition of Professional Conduct for Lawyers and Judges.
Professor Emeritus Beverly G. Smith has agreed to author a second edition of his book Professional Conduct for Lawyers and Judges. The first edition was published in 1998. The second edition will be published in 2001.November 2000 - Enhancements to documents on Web site.
In 1998 we started revising our documents so that:- a search could be made by field
- a statute search could be made by using "sect."
- the year and court is added to cites in hit lists - see item 8 in Newsletter No. 23.
November 2000 - Resource Links on NRS Web Site.
We recently added a number of links to web sites that are of use to legal researchers, such as, links to legislation and regulations. Click on Resource Links on the opening screen.January 4, 2000 - Document revisions.
In 1998 we started revising our documents:- so that a search could be made by field
- so that a statute search could be made by using "sect."
- so that the year and court is added to cites in hit lists - see item 8 in Newsletter No. 23.
January 4, 2000 - Advertising on Web site.
If your firm would like to direct advertising to lawyers who use our web site we offer a banner for this purpose. The number of page views per day on our opening screen exceeds 2,000. We offer an introductory limited time rate of 2 cents per page impression plus the cost of creating the banner.. The MLB web site is searched daily by lawyers and judges from across Canada.January 4, 2000 - Web prices effective April 1, 2000.
Effective April 1, 2000 our web prices are as follows:Per case rate - $2.00
Flat rate - $60/mo. for one database
Flat rate - $180/mo. for 14 databases
January 4, 2000 - Web database content.
Our Web databases now include over 110,000 documents. The approximate number of documents or cases in the main databases are as follows: A.R. 15,000; B.C.A.C. 6,000; B.C.T.C. 6,000; F.T.R. 10,000; Man.R.(2d) 8,000; N.B.R.(2d) 11,000; Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 9,000; N.R. 7,000; N.S.R.(2d) 12,000; O.A.C. 7,000; O.T.C. 8,000; Sask.R. 11,000.The full text of pre 1991 cases will be available on our Web site in late 2002.
January 4, 2000 - Access to NRS databases at law society libraries.
Law society libraries can now obtain free web access for its members to the same NRSweb databases for which the library has print subscriptions. The members will have access to all 14 NRS databases and a method of payment must be arranged with MLB for the use of databases that are not free. Law libraries can arrange for such free use by contacting MLB.January 4, 2000 - Links from Key Numbers to hit lists.
Within the next 60 days a searcher will be able to click on a key number in the Key Number Database and the next screen will list the relevant cases. We are presently testing this new feature. We feel that these links will provide a new standard of convenience for searchers. The Key Number Database is available on the opening screen - click on Find a Key Number.September 1, 1999 - Query Within - new feature reduces or refines a hit list.
This new feature is useful after you have generated a hit list of cases that you want to reduce or refine. When you have generated a hit list, click on the Query Within link; then type the new search words in the search box and click on the OK button, the next screen will display a new hit list. For example, if you have used Quick Search, that automatically searches all databases, and you only want cases from one database, then click on the Query Within and type the name of the desired court in the search box.May 27, 1999 - Law Society of New Brunswick to purchase MLB Web products for its library system (9 libraries)
MLB announces the purchase of MLB Web products by the Law Society of New Brunswick.Diane Hanson, Head Librarian for the Law Society of New Brunswick, says that by July 1999 the Law Society intends to provide its members with Web access to all 14 National Reporter System (NRS) databases. The NRS on the Web includes 10 provincial databases plus 2 databases for the Supreme Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Canada. Members of the Law Society will be able to access the databases on 12 computer terminals at 9 library locations throughout the province.
This intended purchase has resulted in some cancellations of paper law reports by the Law Society. Diane Hanson says that the selection of MLB's Web products is a partial solution to some of the Law Society's immediate library problems.
May 7, 1999 - Enhancements to Alberta Reports database on Web
We have now completed revisions to the headnotes in the Alberta Reports database so that searches can now be made as follows:1. Search by field. In the Alberta Reports database a searcher can now search the headnotes only or the full text only. A search can be limited by using the words [end headnote]. The words [end headnote] have been added at the end of each headnote. For example, if you are searching for the word dog, type dog ... [end headnote] (searches the headnote only) or type [end headnote] ... dog (searches the judgment only).
2. Search for cases interpreting a section of a statute. The Statutes Noticed section in all of the headnotes in the Alberta Reports database has been revised so that s. or ss. has been replaced by sect. This revision allows more accurate searches for sections of a statute, using sect., along with a section number. For example, if you are searching for section 100 of the Criminal Code, type sect. 100 in Criminal Code.
3. Revision of case name and cite to include year and court. The case name and cite in all of the headnotes in the Alberta Reports has been revised by adding the year and the court. For example, Sutton v. Sutton (1997), 207 A.R. 321 (Q.B.) is a 1997 case from the Court of Queen's Bench. The search results or hit lists now include the year and the court.
Similar revisions to our other databases are ongoing.
March 18, 1999 - New link on opening screen of NRS Online - "Find a Key Number"
The use of our Key Numbers is a timesaving method of searching and ensures that the searcher is provided with a complete list of cases on point. Finding a Key Number is usually the searcher's first task.We have moved the free database containing our topical breakdown and all our Key Numbers so that the database is now available from a link on the opening screen of our web site. This database can be searched globally, i.e., all titles at the same time. We have added a link to a similar database that allows a searcher to browse individual titles. For example, a searcher can click on Torts (one of 151 titles) and browse or search all the headings and Key Numbers assigned to Torts.
These two databases provide computer assisted searches for persons looking for a Key Number. These databases complement the print versions of our topical breakdown and Key Numbers, found in our digests.
December 1, 1998 - New database, motions for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada
All dispositions of motions for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada dated after January 1, 1997 are now available in a new database on the MLB Web site. The new database is listed as "Supreme Court of Canada - Motions for leave to appeal - 1997 to date". And a motion is identified in a "hit" list by the word "(motion)" that appears at the end of a case name and citation.This new database is available free to all full text subscribers to any of the series in the National Reporter System. The motions are also available to non-subscribers at $1.50 per motion viewed.
All dispositions of motions for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada are also available in the print version of the National Reporter. The print version of the provincial reporters in the NRS also include the dispositions of such motions where the case originated in a province. The National Reporter has included all dispositions of such motions since 1975.
October 26, 1998 - New Series - British Columbia Trial Cases - British Columbia Supreme Court cases to be edited in 1999.
This new series, called the British Columbia Trial Cases (BCTC), will replace the British Columbia Trial Cases Unedited and will include both edited and unedited cases. The BCTC will be published only in electronic form - on our web site, on CDROM, on disks and on Lexis-Nexis Canada.Selected cases from the British Columbia Supreme Court dated after January 1, 1999 will be edited with a headnote that will include the MLB key numbers. All unedited cases dated after January 1, 1999, will be published in the BCTC along with the unedited cases dated in 1997 and 1998 that are now in the British Columbia Trial Cases Unedited database.
For the first time searchers will be able to find British Columbia Supreme Court cases by searching the National Reporter System (NRS) using the unique MLB Key Number System.
The inclusion of the BCTC in the NRS provides comprehensive coverage, both appellate and trial, for every Canadian common law province plus the federal courts. That is, a search on the NRS using an MLB key number will for the first time provide nationwide results.
September 21, 1998 - Basic Search Guide updated
The Basic Search Guide includes step by step instructions for searching by key number and for searching for a case or statute (see item dated May 6, 1998 below). The update includes how to use our new Quick Search feature. The Guide has been updated on NRS Online - click on Help on the NRS Online opening screen - on the next screen click on Basic Search Guide. The four page card version of the Guide is being reprinted and is available on request. The card form of the Guide is mailed with all bound volumes.July 1, 1998 - Advance parts available for advertising
Place an advertisement directed to lawyers and law firms. Effective immediately pages in the advance parts of the NRS reporters are available for advertising. Reasonable rates - for example, a quarter page in one of the NRS reporters is $105 for the first insertion. Call 1-800-561-0220 and ask for a service representative. Our rates are as follows:| Insertions | Price per insertion per series | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | 1/4 pg. | 1/2 pg. | 3/4 pg. | Full pg. |
| 1 to 5 | $105 | $170 | $215 | $275 |
| 5 to 10 | $95 | $160 | $205 | $250 |
| 10+ | $85 | $125 | $170 | $215 |
Add 15% if camera ready copy is prepared by MLB.
Ad sizes:
1/4 page = 5.25" by 1.8"
1/2 page = 5.25" by 3.8"
3/4 page = 5.25" by 5.8"
Full pg. = 5.25" by 7.8"
May 11, 1998 - Reduction in number of advance parts per volume.
We have decided to reduce the number of advance parts per volume to two parts per volume, in place of four or five. The number of pages per volume will remain unchanged. Each part will be between 160 and 200 pages. The mailing of the volume index parts to subscribers will be unchanged. This change will be effective with the following volumes: A.R. vol. 214; B.C.A.C. vol. 105; F.T.R. vol. 144; Man.R.(2d) vol. 127; N.B.R.(2d) vol. 197; Nfld. & P.E.I.R. vol. 163; N.R. vol. 226; N.S.R.(2d) vol. 167; O.A.C. vol. 109; Sask.R. vol. 166.Note that all full text subscribers are entitled to free access to the same series on our Web site. This free access can be used to search recent volumes, as the cases are published in our Web site databases much earlier than the cases are published in print. Note that our Web databases also include unedited cases (previously called unreported cases).
May 6, 1998 - Long range projects for MLB Web site.
MLB intends to revise our Web headnotes so that:- the hit line on the "Search Results" screen will show the year of a case and the court, e.g. in Smith v. Smith (1998), 210 A.R. 22 (C.A.), the year (1998) and the court (C.A.) will be added. These revisions will help searchers in determining when to view or download a case;
- all statute section numbers in Statutes Noticed will have "sect." added preceding the section number, e.g. Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, sect. 7, sect. 10, sect. 22. This revision will allow more accurate searches for sections of statutes, using sect. along with a section number.
- the words [end headnote] will be added at the end of each headnote. This revision will facilitate searching in the headnote only or searching in the full text only.
Another long term project involves creating hyperlinks from the key numbers in the MLB Key Number Breakdown to a hit list. These hyperlinks will allow a searcher to click on a key number, such as "205 entrapment" in the title Criminal Law, and the next screen will show a list of cases that deal with the doctrine of entrapment.
Another long term project involves creating a Statute Index that includes a list of all the section numbers that have been judicially noticed. A selected section number will be hyperlinked to a list of cases that have interpreted the section selected. Such a hyperlink will allow a searcher to click on a statute section number and the next screen will show a list of cases that interpret the section selected.
May 6, 1998 - Textbook "Professional Conduct For Lawyers And Judges" by Prof. Beverley G. Smith.
We expect to publish Prof. Beverley Smith's textbook in June 1998. This new textbook is an expanded and revised edition of Prof. Smith's book, Professional Conduct for Canadian Lawyers, published in 1989 by Butterworths. This revised and expanded edition includes new chapters titled "The Lawyer As Judge" and "The Lawyer In Lawyer-Client Transactions". The new text will be about 550 pages (the 1989 edition was 270 pages). We offer three formats - a loose leaf edition at $150 with annual updates at $65 - a bound edition at $150 (without updates) - and a paperbound student edition at $60 (without updates). Prices do not include $4.70 for shipping and handling and 7% GST. We are taking advance orders - Tel. 1-800-561-0220 or e-mail service@mlb.nb.ca or fax: 506-453-9525.May 6, 1998 - Client identification system for Web site.
A system that tracks charges for specific clients has been available on our Web site since March - to track charges click on "Client ID Tag" and enter an ID tag. The charges are tagged or identified in our electronic usage reports (click on "National Reporter System Online" and then click on "Billing Information"). But the charges are not as yet identified (with the Client ID Tag) in our print billing. We have had requests that our print billings include such tags and we are working on providing this information in the future.May 6, 1998 - Revision of pre 1991 headnotes for inclusion in Web databases.
Our pre 1991 headnotes previously available on QL were incomplete and required revision. The revisions work is now complete for all series except Ontario Appeal Cases, Saskatchewan Reports and the New Brunswick Reports (2d). We expect to have all the headnotes for all series revised and on our Web site by late summer.May 6, 1998 - ISYS Web with Rich HTML.
We recently purchased an ISYS Web add-on called Rich HTML. This add-on solved the problem of web documents not holding the formatting of the original documents (such as centering and bolding). Now our Web version of the case looks like the print version. Also the Web cases now include several thousand tables and graphics that could not previously be viewed in their original format.May 6, 1998 - Web searching restrictions removed.
We recently solved the searching restriction for users who elected to search by selecting databases as opposed to a global search. The problem was solved with the help of the ISYS support staff and a new version of ISYS web. At the same time we solved a problem that occurred intermittently when the search words included a period, such as Topic 880.28 or 120 N.R. 22.May 6, 1998 - Basic Search Guide to Web site.
The four page Basic Search Guide offers step by step instructions for searching by key number and for searching for cases and statutes. The Guide is available on a hyperlink on our Help page (click on "Help" on the opening page of our website). The Guide is also available in card form. In April 1998 we started inserting a card form of the Basic Search Guide in all mailed bound volumes. Print copies of the Guide are available on request (1-800-561-0220).February 11, 1998 - Law society members' use of NRS Web site
In January 1998 our firm wrote to approximately 90 law society libraries offering to the libraries access to our Web site. Internet access at a law society library can benefit lawyers who lack Internet access. Our Web site can also benefit users of satellite libraries that have limited caselaw collections. We offered access to our Web site in two ways - they are:1. User pay system. If the law society library has a computer that is connected to the Internet, members can use this computer to register with our firm and we will bill the member for usage on a per case basis or on a flat rate basis. Under this option members can access our Web site from the law society library computer or from any other computer.
2. Library pay system. A law society library can purchase for its members access to all our databases at a flat rate of $150 per month per computer terminal. Under this option the members must access our Web site from the computers on the library premises and the password must be blind to the members.
February 5, 1998 - NRS Current Caselaw on CDROM
The NRS Current Caselaw is now available on CDROM. The NRS Current Caselaw includes topics (summaries of points of law) from all recent cases from all our reporters (that cover every Canadian jurisdiction except Quebec). This monthly service includes topics from over 500 cases per month. The CDROM price is $90 per quarter.February 5, 1998 - Student Paperbound Rates
Full time students can subscribe to the paperbound service for any of our reporters at the special rate of $50 per volume. A paperbound subscription entitles a student to free access to the same series on our Web site. For example, a paperbound subscriber to the Alberta Reports can search free all of the volumes of the Alberta Reports from 1976 to date, in seconds, versus the inconvenience of a manual search of over 200 printed volumes.January 7, 1998 - Text book on ethics
In 1998 our firm will publish our first legal text. The author is Prof. Beverley G. Smith, who recently retired from the law faculty at the University of New Brunswick. The textbook is a revised and expanded edition of Prof. Smith's book, Professional Conduct for Canadian Lawyers, published in 1989 by Butterworths.The revised and expanded edition includes new chapters titled "The Lawyer as Judge" and "The Lawyer in Lawyer-Client Transactions". We expect to offer two formats - a loose leaf edition that will be updated on a regular basis - and a paperbound student edition.
Our firm donates prizes at several Canadian law schools for students who excel in a course on legal ethics. We commend law schools where legal ethics is compulsory - we believe that they are: Dalhousie U.; U. of New Brunswick; U. of Manitoba; and the U. of Alberta.
January 7, 1998 - Network CDROMs
All our CDROM products can now be purchased in network ready form. Our prices are based on actual concurrent usage and not potential usage. Call us for price quotes and usage restrictions.January 7, 1998 - Copyright Update
Our firm continues to assert copyright in our headnotes and indexing. We do not claim copyright in judicial decisions.The B.C. Courthouse Library Society, which operates a copy service for lawyers, has advised its customers that they no longer copy our headnotes when they copy cases for lawyers.
January 7, 1998 - News from the NRS Web Site
We are now working on a "tag" or "client identification" system so that the users of the site, when doing searches, will be able to track charges for specific clients. The system will be operating within 90 days.We are checking and preparing pre 1991 headnotes for inclusion in our databases. The pre 1991 headnotes previously available on QL were incomplete and required revision. The work is complete for the National Reporter, the Alberta Reports and the Nova Scotia Reports (2d). The work is ongoing for five databases and they will all be complete by the end of 1998.
Reminder: All MLB full text subscribers have free access to the same series on our Web site. This permits the update of a search pending the delay in printing and/or mailing.
December 18, 1997 - New Web Site Renders Diskette Service Superfluous
Due to the development of the National Reporter System Web Site - www.mlb.nb.ca - the inclusion of computer diskettes in each bound volume, including digests, will be discontinued in approximately three months. The diskette for cases in the N.B.R.(2d) Supp. will be continued in all volumes of the N.B.R.(2d). All full text subscribers are entitled to free access to the same series on the NRS Web Site.All cases are available on a timely basis on the web site and the databases on the web site include cases that are not available in print - that is, we publish on the web site all the decisions that we receive from the courts. The web site also includes the full text of recently received decisions that are being edited.
Upon request, full text subscribers will be able to continue receiving a diskette, containing all cases in one volume, that will be mailed separately - at no cost for three months after the diskette service ends and thereafter at a nominal cost of $10 per diskette.
If you have any questions please call us at 1-800-561-0220.
