Immigration
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March 07, 2024
The many reasons for regularizing status of undocumented workers | Lorne Waldman
In his December 2021 Mandate letter, Prime Minister Trudeau wrote to the then minister of Citizenship and Immigration and instructed him to “build on existing pilot programs to further explore ways of regularizing status for undocumented workers who are contributing to Canadian communities.” The PM’s reference to “existing pilot projects” was a recognition of the very successful program whereby undocumented construction workers in Toronto and the GTA can regularize their status.
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March 06, 2024
Controversy erupts after Quebec Appeal Court grants asylum seekers access to subsidized daycare
Asylum seekers in Quebec, after waging a long legal battle, can now have access to subsidized daycare after the Quebec Court of Appeal found that a provincial policy was discriminatory in a decision hailed by legal experts but mired in political controversy.
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March 05, 2024
Federal lawyers ratify new collective agreement gains that achieve ‘comparable’ pay to Ontario Crowns
Members of the union representing more than 3,300 federal government lawyers and Crowns voted overwhelmingly to ratify a “hard won” new collective agreement, featuring pay increases of 12.5 per cent (13.14 per cent compounded) over four years — and making the pay rates for federal Crowns “comparable” to those of their Ontario counterparts, who are the highest paid public-sector lawyers in Canada, says the Association of Justice Counsel (AJC).
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March 04, 2024
Canada sanctions six Russians ‘involved’ in Alexei Navalny’s ‘ill treatment and death’ in prison
Canada has announced dealings bans, including asset freezes, and entry bans against six Russians for their roles in “gross and systematic human rights violations;” the list includes “senior officials or high-ranking employees in Russia’s prosecution, judicial and penitentiary services who were involved in the ill-treatment and death” last month in an Arctic prison of Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition leader and outspoken critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s kleptocratic regime.
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March 04, 2024
Blaneys names four to partner
Blaney McMurtry LLP has announced that associates Matthew G. Tapia, Neena (Parminder) Sandhu, Anna Iourina and Vagmi Patel have been appointed partners of the firm.
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March 04, 2024
Adjustment of Status delays: Options for work and travel
A foreign national can convert his or her U.S. immigration status from a temporary nonimmigrant to a Lawful Permanent Resident (“green card holder”) through Adjustment of Status (AOS). For some people, it is far more convenient than having to leave the United States to visit a foreign embassy or consulate and wait for documents to be returned. Family members of U.S. citizens or green card holders can enjoy waiting for their status to be converted while living with or near family members.
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March 01, 2024
SCC rules police must get prior judicial authorization to seek IP addresses in crime investigations
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled 5-4 that there is a reasonable expectation of privacy in IP addresses, which attracts the Charter’s s. 8 protection against unreasonable search or seizure and requires police investigating crimes to get prior judicial authorization to seek IP addresses from third parties.
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March 01, 2024
Reports on harassment, specialization, helpline released for Ontario Convocation
Almost all of the Law Society of Ontario’s most recent Convocation was held behind closed doors, but several reports were published detailing numbers around harassment complaints against lawyers, members becoming certified specialists and those making use of the regulator’s practice helpline.
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March 01, 2024
Define ‘tough judge’ | Norman Douglas
There are many countries in the world with tough judges. Perhaps these countries have a lower crime rate — we don’t know, because what goes on in their criminal courts is kept secret.
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February 29, 2024
Canada implements new visa requirements on travellers from Mexico
Citing a recent “spike” in unsuccessful asylum claims made in Canada by Mexican citizens and the need to preserve “the integrity of our immigration system,” the federal government is starting to require visitor visas for Mexicans who do not hold valid U.S. non-immigrant visas or who have not held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years and are travelling by air on a Mexican passport.