August 25, 2026
Some criminal cases seem to cry out for punishment. Others force criminal law to ask a more fundamental question: can a person be held criminally responsible for conduct he did not consciously control?
August 24, 2026
A national civil liberties group has launched a Charter challenge against what it calls the “chronic” underfunding of criminal legal aid in Manitoba. And a leading voice for criminal lawyers in the province is echoing the sentiment that funding has long stagnated.
August 24, 2026
As generative artificial intelligence becomes more capable, law schools at some Canadian and American universities have announced bans on laptops, tablets and mobile phones in classrooms. Supporters say restrictions protect academic integrity and restore focused learning. Critics counter that blanket bans are difficult to enforce, disadvantage some students and avoid the challenge, that of teaching future lawyers to use AI responsibly.
August 24, 2026
When we think about leadership development, we tend to picture executive education, MBA programs or leadership retreats. We imagine professionals preparing to lead organizations, governments or businesses. But what if one of Canada’s most important leadership development systems isn’t happening in boardrooms at all?
August 20, 2026
Prince Edward Island is seeking input from residents on proposed regulations that would allow for greater scrutiny of employers who use temporary foreign workers — and penalties for those who break the rules.
August 20, 2026
A recent Nova Scotia court ruling could broaden eligibility for certain welfare benefits for homeless people living in tents, trailers or cars in the province, says a lawyer acting for a resident who died while living in a tent in downtown Halifax.
August 20, 2026
A sexual assault conviction cannot survive when the trial judge’s assessment of credibility is built, even in part, on evidence that has been misunderstood or given a legally impermissible use.
August 19, 2026
Ontario’s attempt to make bail “more real and consequential” may instead create a constitutional confrontation over who has the power to decide the terms on which an accused person is released from custody.
August 17, 2026
A coalition of legal and civil rights groups has launched a constitutional challenge to Ontario’s new cash bail requirements, arguing the rules create a “two-tier” justice system that favours people who can afford to pay for their release. Changes to the bail system came into effect on Aug. 17, and among other things require a cash security deposit in the full amount pledged to be paid once an accused person is released into custody, with payment due within two business days of release.
August 17, 2026
Justice, Ontario Judge Brock Jones recently reminded us, is not simply a matter of punishment: sometimes it requires looking beyond a troubling criminal record to the illness underlying the offending and asking whether treatment, rather than incarceration, better protects society: R. v. Gowers, Aug. 10.