Access to Justice
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April 24, 2025
Why video evidence failed to win Alberta sex assault appeal
When an accused Alberta man was charged with three counts of sexual assault by a former partner, he thought he might have a good defence if he could get around Canada’s “rape shield law,” s. 276 of the Criminal Code. His defence at trial was that he had an honest but mistaken belief that the partner had consented to the sexual advances.
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April 24, 2025
Wait! Hear me out
I am listening to a Filipino song called Bulag Pipi at Bingi by Freddie Aguilar. The lyrics express the idea that the real world is not far from the life of deaf, blind and mute — it suggests that what one is going through is not unusual or isolated. However, the other side of me is worrying that I am starting to realize how loud the volume is. Am I starting to have noise-induced hearing loss?
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April 23, 2025
Ontario Court of Appeal upholds dismissal of proposed class action against crypto giant Coinbase
In a case that points to potential jurisdictional legal challenges for virtual currency investors, the Ontario Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal related to a proposed class action against Delaware-based crypto trading giant Coinbase Global Inc. and some of its affiliates.
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April 23, 2025
B.C. appoints three new judges and a judicial justice
The British Columbia government has appointed three new judges and a judicial justice to its provincial court.
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April 22, 2025
Law Commission of Ontario seeking answers on use of AI in criminal justice
The Law Commission of Ontario has started a public consultation process to explore the implications of artificial intelligence in the criminal justice system, seeking to gather diverse perspectives on its use and regulation.
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April 22, 2025
Who gets the pet in 2025? B.C. Supreme Court weighs in
In April 2025, for the first time in a final ruling, the B.C. Supreme Court rendered a judgment applying the landmark 2024 companion animal provisions of B.C.’s Family Law Act (FLA), S.B.C. 2011, c 25.
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April 17, 2025
Federal Court of Appeal upholds Ottawa's ban on more than 1,500 firearms, dismisses appeals
The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed four appeals that related to six applications of judicial review on the banning of over 1,500 types of firearms in regulations brought by governor-in-council in 2020. The firearms were banned due to not being reasonable for hunting or sport, with the Federal Court finding that the regulations were not ultra vires.
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April 17, 2025
Canadian author files class action against Meta for allegedly training AI with copyrighted books
Meta and its subsidiary, Facebook Canada, are set to face a proposed class action over its alleged use of copyrighted works of Canadian authors to train its artificial intelligence large language models.
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April 17, 2025
Here’s what happens when a sentencing judge considers the why and not the what
Our courts are clogged. Guilty pleas are often accepted to expedite matters and free up court time. However, a recent decision of Justice Brock Jones of the Ontario Court of Justice demonstrates how justice should be applied in the hurly-burly of crowded courtrooms.
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April 17, 2025
Ontario’s civil procedure overhaul: From fishing expeditions to reliance-based disclosure
Ontario’s civil justice system is on the cusp of its most sweeping transformation in over a century. The Civil Rules Review 2025, launched by Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz and Attorney General Doug Downey, is not simply tinkering at the edges — it’s a fundamental reimagining of how litigation is conducted in this province.