Access to Justice

  • May 04, 2026

    Ontario’s government wants to keep you in the dark: What are they hiding?

    Roughly every four years, voters elect a government and grant it significant powers and responsibilities. But winning an election does not mean one has been given carte blanche to act as they see fit until the next election. Governments must exercise public power in accordance with the Constitution, and voters have the right to know how elected officials are using this power. Ontario’s rushed amendments to freedom of information and privacy laws enacted a few days ago through the government’s Bill 97, Plan to Protect Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2026 directly attack both of these fundamental democratic principles.

  • May 01, 2026

    Law delaying redrawing of Quebec voting boundaries an infringement of voting rights: SCC

    The Supreme Court of Canada has confirmed there was an unjustified infringement on Quebec residents’ voting rights due to a law that interrupts the process of determining electoral boundaries.

  • May 01, 2026

    Bill C-223 won’t ‘fix’ relocation law, it’ll ruin it

    I wrote about Bill C-223’s proposed relocation changes in October 2025 (“Bill C-223: Bad ideas on child relocation”). Law360 Canada published a two-part defence of the bill by Suzanne Zaccour and Joanne Moser on April 22-23, 2026 (“Relocation law is stacked against mothers — Bill C-223 can fix it”; “Relocation law is stacked against mothers — Bill C-223 can fix it: Addressing bias”). Zaccour is one of the architects of the bill, in her role at the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL).

  • April 30, 2026

    B.C. expands early resolution program for family law matters

    British Columbia is expanding its early resolution process for family law matters to 35 additional provincial court locations, aiming to help more families resolve disputes outside of court and reduce pressure on the court system.

  • April 30, 2026

    Saskatchewan giving $1.2M to restorative justice programs in schools

    Saskatchewan is investing more than $1 million in restorative justice programs for schools in a bid to tackle bullying and other types of student “conflict.”

  • April 29, 2026

    Sex assault appeal decision: Properly equipped jury must be accurately and sufficiently instructed

    Michael Morris was convicted of sexual assault, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching by a jury in 2023. He was sentenced to 1,816 days (just short of five years, with credit for pretrial custody) in a penitentiary, plus ancillary orders.

  • April 29, 2026

    On the move to in-person motions in family court, I have been moved

    After reading rebuttals from Russell Alexander, Gary Joseph, Roslyn Tsao and Aaron Franks to my article on the recent return to in-person motions in Toronto’s family court, “The Zoom paradox: When a judge’s words and his court’s actions collide,” I have been moved.

  • April 29, 2026

    B.C. Court of Appeal weighs executive’s responsibility in environmental infractions

    On what basis can an officer and director of a corporation be held personally liable when the business they run breaks the law? Benjamin Mossman was a businessman who was personally charged with infractions incurred by the company he ran.

  • April 28, 2026

    Saskatchewan investing $17.2M in First Nations alternative justice

    Saskatchewan is giving millions of dollars to support restorative justice measures used by Indigenous communities. According to an April 27 news release, the province is providing $17.2 million over the next four years to more than 20 First Nations, tribal councils and community-based organizations that deliver “alternative measures and extrajudicial sanctions programs.”

  • April 28, 2026

    B.C. extends funding for program supporting domestic abuse survivors in family court

    British Columbia has announced it will continue funding a program aimed at supporting survivors of intimate partner violence as they navigate family law matters in court until at least March 2028.

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