Pulse

  • May 09, 2024

    2 new appointments to Federal Court announced

    Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Arif Virani announced the appointment of Michael Battista and Catharine Moore to the Federal Court of Appeal.

  • May 09, 2024

    2 lawyers join Children and Family Services Act committee in Nova Scotia

    Brendan Maguire, the minister of the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services, appointed two lawyers — Susanne Litke and Paul Sheppard — to a committee to review the Children and Family Services Act.

  • 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.

  • May 08, 2024

    Toronto-based lawyer joins International Association of Defense Counsel

    Byron Shaw, a lawyer at McCarthy Tétrault LLP Toronto, has joined the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC).

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • May 08, 2024

    Bail system irrelevant in 401 police chase tragedy | John L. Hill

     A Toronto Star report detailing the criminal backgrounds of two men who were the subject of a high-speed chase on the bustling Highway 401 east of Toronto sent Facebook posters into a frenzy.

  • May 08, 2024

    Respect for a system that is vital to democracy | Gary Joseph

    I had the pleasure of attending the Spring Family Law Dinner organized by the York Region Law Association on May 6. Many distinguished speakers presented throughout the evening, but I was particularly struck by the passionate words of Justice Richard Bennett (Ontario Superior Court of Justice). Justice Bennett bemoaned what he sees (from the bench) as a growing lack of respect in his courtroom and otherwise in the profession. His words struck a deep chord within me, leading to this article.

  • May 07, 2024

    Sweeping national security bill would boost state investigative powers; expand & create crimes, AMPs

    The federal government has introduced a sweeping national security bill that would create a publicly accessible “foreign influence transparency” registry; expand the warrant, production and disclosure powers of the Canadian Security Intelligence Agency (CSIS); affect criminal accused or judicial review applicants seeking access to relevant “information related to international relations, national defence or national security”; expand the current “sabotage” offence; and create new “foreign interference” offences, along with administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) of up to $5 million and five years in prison, including for knowingly obstructing the operations of the office of a proposed new “Foreign Influence Transparency Commissioner.”

  • May 07, 2024

    2 new appointments to Ontario Court of Appeal

    Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Arif Virani announced the appointment of Darla A. Wilson and Lene Madsen as Judges of the Court of Appeal of Ontario.