Access to Justice
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June 30, 2025
Saskatchewan furthering commitment to national plan tackling gender-based violence
Saskatchewan is providing more than half a million dollars to several initiatives as part of the province’s ongoing rollout of a national plan to eradicate gender-based violence — with a chunk of the funds going toward an event promoting the “exchange of ideas” between lawyers, law enforcement and advocates.
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June 30, 2025
Ontario judge warns of dire impact of split Appeal Court decision expanding s. 7 liberty rights
In a split decision, the Ontario Court of Appeal has quashed a residency requirement under the Canada Elections Act, finding it infringed on a returning officer’s s. 7 liberty rights under the Charter when he was disqualified from his position after moving outside the district.
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June 30, 2025
Saskatchewan regulator’s 2024 report highlights mental health, AI, competency
Saskatchewan’s legal regulator was active last year in continuing its goals of increasing competency, minding members’ mental health and guiding lawyers in the use of artificial intelligence. The Law Society of Saskatchewan (LSS) laid out progress in these areas and others as part of its recently released annual report for 2024.
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June 27, 2025
B.C. Court of Appeal increases damages award to parents who lost son, citing potential contributions
The B.C. Court of Appeal has increased damages awarded to parents who lost their 17-year-old son in a car accident to include compensation for the unpaid work their son was likely to undertake during his university years.
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June 27, 2025
Limit oral discovery rather than eliminate it, group says in response to Ontario civil rules review
The association representing trial lawyers in Ontario is raising concerns over proposals to radically revamp Ontario’s civil rules, raising concerns that it is being done without the support of proper data.
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June 27, 2025
Bill C-5 and the Building Canada Act: Deregulation in a ‘national interest’ costume?
On June 6, 2025, the federal Liberal government tabled Bill C-5 — the One Canadian Act — containing two parts: a free trade framework and the Building Canada Act. As of June 26, 2025, this bill is now federal law.
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June 27, 2025
Why Ontario appeal court took ‘drastic step’ in impaired case
Can a revolving door be slammed in a person’s face? As unlikely as that might seem, it is what the Ontario Court of Appeal did to self-represented Melissa Hart in its recent judgment, R. v. Hart, 2025 ONCA 451.
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June 26, 2025
Federal Court approves $40M fees for class counsel in $5B ‘Indian hospitals’ abuse settlement
The Federal Court has approved fees of $40 million for class counsel who negotiated a settlement worth an estimated $3.35 billion to $5.45 billion in a federal class action concerning allegations of abuse at the segregated federal institutions known as “Indian hospitals.”
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June 26, 2025
Bennett Jensen receives Law Foundation of Ontario’s 2025 Guthrie Award
The Law Foundation of Ontario has awarded the 2025 Guthrie Award, which recognizes exceptional access-to-justice champions, to Bennett Jensen.
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June 26, 2025
Autonomy, security of tenure key principles for ensuring ombudsman independence, council says
The Canadian Council of Parliamentary Ombudsman (CCPO) has endorsed a set of key principles designed to ensure the independence, effectiveness and accountability of ombuds institutions across Canada.
Access to justice: The language of the litigant counts | Ruphine Djuissi
Access to justice in French is a critical issue for Francophones across Canada, particularly with respect to the availability of legal services in French, the quality of interpretation and translation, and equal language rights. It also includes access to French-speaking lawyers and court documents written in French. It is important to ensure that Francophones have access to legal services in their mother tongue or first official language.
Ontario committed to expanding Unified Family Courts but Toronto still lacking
Ontario’s government is vowing to continue working towards the expansion of Unified Family Courts across the province. But a local lawyer says that until a UFC is placed in the Toronto area, millions are being left to navigate a confusing, “two-tiered” family court system.