Access to Justice
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February 05, 2025
What’s all this talk about tariffs? Part one: The rising significance of tariffs | Hodine Williams
Recently, tariffs have become a buzzword in political discourse, economic debates and media headlines. From the U.S.-China trade war to national security and domestic manufacturing debates, tariffs are often portrayed as both a shield and a sword in global trade. But what exactly are tariffs, and why do they matter? More importantly, how do they function within the U.S. legal and economic framework and what are their real-world consequences?
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February 05, 2025
Leo Pharma agrees to pay $437K to settle lawsuit over skin cancer risk from Picato
Toronto-based Leo Pharma has agreed to pay $437,678 to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that its actinic keratosis treatment, Picato, increased patients’ risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
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February 05, 2025
How outdated tech hurts criminal courts: Higher courts fear virtual shift | Daniel J. Escott
In an era where digital transformation is reshaping nearly every aspect of society, one might expect that the most high-stakes areas of the judicial system would be equipped with the best technological tools. However, a recent survey of Canadian judges has revealed a striking paradox: criminal court judges, who handle some of the most complex and consequential cases, have the worst IT infrastructure and support.
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February 05, 2025
Prison phone class action targets Ontario government, Bell | John L. Hill
We call people and companies that make excessive profits at the expense of those who can least afford them nasty names. They might be called profiteers, price gougers, exploiters or opportunists. However, if a class action lawsuit filed in Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice is successful, we may not have to use nasty names. We can call them by their real names: Bell Canada and the government of Ontario.
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February 03, 2025
Let’s not acquiesce to abusive solitary confinement | Catherine Latimer
The final report of the Structured Intervention Unit Implementation Advisory Panel (SIU-IAP) should be a wake-up call for Canadians who value rule of law and the Charter rights fundamental to our nation.
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February 03, 2025
Chief Justice Wagner says federal judicial appointments on ‘right path’ as vacancies hit low of 30
The minority Liberal federal government has turned around the “untenable” situation Canada’s top judge warned about two years ago that was harming Canadians, due to a persistently-high number of federal judicial vacancies caused by Ottawa’s years-long chronic delays in appointing judges.
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February 03, 2025
Ontario Court approves $3 million settlement in Fortress Real Developments class action
An Ontario Superior Court judge has approved a $3 million settlement in a class action involving investors who lost millions of dollars in a real estate project funded by now defunct Fortress Real Developments Inc. and its affiliated companies, Fortress Real Capital Inc. and FMP Mortgage Investments Inc.
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February 03, 2025
Ontario law foundation launches call for applications for access to justice program
The Law Foundation of Ontario has launched a call for applications for the newest iteration of its Catalyst program, which assists non-profits that are working to advance access to justice in the province.
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February 03, 2025
Manitoba establishes protest ‘buffer zones’ around abortion clinics
Manitoba’s New Democrats have put in place legislation outlawing protests within “buffer zones” around abortion clinics. According to a government news release, the government has proclaimed its Safe Access to Abortion Services Act, which came into force Feb. 1. and provides for “safety perimeters” around clinics performing the procedure.
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February 03, 2025
New Cold War: Sanctions as weapons to reshape international law, global trade | Hodine Williams
A colleague of mine said it nicely: “In this lifetime, we are witnessing the emergence of a new Cold War.”