Access to Justice
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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.
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June 26, 2025
Severe prison overcrowding in Ontario requires urgent government action, warns ombudsman
Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé is calling on the government of Premier Doug Ford to act urgently to address a prison overcrowding crisis that helped lead to a December 2023 incident at Milton, Ont.’s Maplehurst Correctional Complex, when nearly 200 inmates were forcibly removed from their cells using flash grenades, had their wrists zip-tied, were stripped to their underwear and were forced to sit on the floor facing the walls while the temperature was lowered.
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June 26, 2025
OSC provides $875K to support Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic’s pro bono work
The Ontario Securities Commission has announced that it will provide funding up to $875,000 over a five-year period to the Osgoode Hall Law School Investor Protection Clinic (Osgoode IPC), which provides pro bono legal support to those who have suffered an investment loss but are unable to afford a lawyer to represent them.