May 12, 2026
The choice in the expression “Fear has two meanings: Forget everything and run, or face everything and rise” could underpin two different approaches taken by the Northwest Territories Court of Appeal in assessing a dangerous driving charge resulting in a death.
May 11, 2026
Ontario’s Justice Centres are being recognized with the Ontario Bar Association’s (OBA) President’s Award for their innovative community court model.
May 11, 2026
Three and a half years ago, I wrote in this column about the dangers of forcing treatment on people with serious mental health issues as a condition of keeping them living in the community.
May 08, 2026
The Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA) has elected K. Jay Ralston as its president for the 2026–27 term.
May 08, 2026
Spoiler Alert: The following contains plot details from Better Call Saul. Charles McGill, the decorated senior partner in the TV series Better Call Saul, is everything the legal profession tells itself it stands for: principled, authoritative, a guardian of the rule of law. His younger brother Jimmy — the poor, hustling, desperate Saul Goodman — represents everything the profession looks down on. But as artificial intelligence dismantles the gatekeeping function that long justified the legal profession’s self-image, it is worth asking: which one of them is a more accurate reflection of a lawyer?
May 07, 2026
Saskatchewan has passed new provincial prison legislation that will have justices of the peace decide on “major disciplinary matters” involving inmates.
May 07, 2026
There may be a new sheriff in town. The provincial government in Ontario plans to introduce regulations designating transit special constables as “officers” under the Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act, 2025 (RPCISA). This move will grant them sweeping powers to arrest and detain individuals and to search, seize and even destroy property.
May 07, 2026
A recent report by Global News, drawing on freedom-of-information materials obtained by Donna Power and the Humane Initiative, adds an important and deeply troubling dimension to concerns I raised several weeks ago about Ontario’s animal welfare regime.
May 07, 2026
Substantive law defines what constitutes a crime, while procedural law dictates how the case is handled. A conviction requires both evidence proving guilt and adherence to proper procedure to ensure a fair trial. Sometimes, the substance is so glaring that the focus on trial fairness can take a back seat.
May 06, 2026
New Brunswick has proposed legislation aimed at improving patient safety and “quality of care” through the establishment of an advisory committee, the clarifying of what is meant by “safety incidents” and improving the use of data in tracking trends.