The Supreme Court of Canada's Chief Justice, Beverly McLachlan, raised many virtual eyebrows on January 31 when she expressed concern about the impacts of social media on Canada's justice system. Her worry is that people using social media as their main information source may be getting an inaccurate impression of the justice system.

Especially timely -- at least to West Coast Environmental Law -- was her question: "How can a medium such as Twitter inform the public accurately or adequately, in 140 characters or less, of the real gist of a complex constitutional decision?"

On January 25, 2011, the Egyptian revolution began. Spurred by the success of the Tunisian protests earlier in the month, activists coined the "Day of Rage" on the same day as the national holiday honouring police. Thousands take to the streets to march against the 30 year reign of dictator Hosni Mubarak. Protesters are met with tear gas from police.

The uprising was breathtaking as thousands, then hundreds of thousands more joined the protests in Tahir Square spanning almost a month. What wasn't broadcast were the days, months and years of activism leading up to the historic revolution.

On January 8, 1912, South African intellectuals -- including pioneering black newspaper publishers Pixley ka Isaka Seme, editor of Abantu-Batho, and John Langalibalele Dube, editor of Ilanga lase Natal -- formed Africa's oldest liberation movement, the African National Congress (ANC) in Bloemfontein.