Access to Justice
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May 10, 2024
Court of Appeal decision focuses on deterrence, protection of society and sentence
One would expect that when Crown counsel Dena Bonnet began arguing a sentence appeal on March 12, 2024, she had to be confident the matter was a sure winner. She has served as Crown counsel at the Crown Law office since 2008 and regularly appears before the Ontario Court of Appeal. She could realistically argue that the sentence handed down at trial was demonstrably unfit.
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May 10, 2024
Court dismisses motion, cites ‘culture of complacency’ and delays in civil justice system
An Ontario Superior Court judge has dismissed leave to bring a motion in a long-running business dispute, lashing out at constant delays and a culture of complacency in Ontario's civil justice system.
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May 09, 2024
N.B. looks to greater regulations for private career colleges
In the name of increased protections for post-secondary students, New Brunswick is proposing legislative changes that would mean greater regulation over private career colleges in the province.
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May 09, 2024
Response to Gary Joseph: A plea for civil discourse in high-conflict parenting disputes | Barbara Landau
When family law was taught in the late 1970s, it was called “Civil Procedure” — and I could hardly think of a better oxymoron. Gary Joseph, a leading family lawyer, is to be commended for his welcome insight and reminder that separations are about FAMILY.
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May 09, 2024
Learning who your friends are | David Dorson
Being charged with a crime will cost you in many ways. One of them is that you will inevitably lose people who matter to you. Many people will drop out of your life — and if you are lucky, some will also show themselves as true friends.
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May 09, 2024
IRCC’s inadequate online access for clients seeking immigration info ‘untenable’: federal watchdog
The years-long failure of the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to create a functional system to digitally communicate with would-be immigrants has pushed tens of thousands of IRCC clients (and their lawyers) to try to track the progress of their immigration applications via the access-to-information portals of the federal immigration department and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), says federal Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard, who called the status quo and resulting deluge of access to information requests “simply untenable.”
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May 08, 2024
New appointment to Quebec Superior Court announced
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Arif Virani appointed Catherine Dagenais as a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec in Montreal, a news release from the Department of Justice announced.
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May 08, 2024
Law Society of Ontario sidesteps 100 years of common law rights | Joseph Chiummiento
On April 25, 2024, the directors of the largest legal regulator in North America surrendered over 100 years of well-earned common law rights to information. It is hard to see in this scenario how curtailing a director’s right to information serves the public interest.
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May 06, 2024
Ottawa’s proposed $72M for immigration legal aid in 2024 helps but more funds needed, CBA says
Immigration lawyers say federal Budget 2024’s boost for immigration legal aid is very welcome, but higher funding is necessary if the burgeoning number of refugee claimants are to access justice in Canada. As unveiled on April 16, 2024, by Chrystia Freeland, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Budget 2024 proposes $72 million for immigration legal aid in 2024-25, up from $43.5 million per year in Budgets 2023 and 2022.
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May 06, 2024
Manitoba creates endowment fund for families of missing, murdered Indigenous women
Manitoba’s government is creating a $15 million endowment fund for a grant program offering help to the families of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people (MMIWG2S+).