October 09, 2026
Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser has announced the appointment of Justice Thomas Rothwell to the Court of Appeal of Alberta and Malcolm M. Lavoie to the Court of King’s Bench.
October 09, 2026
Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser has announced the appointment of Paul J. Mongenais and Peter D. Ruby to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
October 09, 2026
For lawyers, some issues extend beyond protecting rights and freedoms. A core concern is the risk of letting a rigid rule determine an outcome before examining the matter’s substance.
October 08, 2026
Just weeks after Canada’s government created a chief firearms officer for the country’s northern territories, the Yukon has tabled legislation that would allow for the creation of its own “firearms advocate.” On Oct. 7, Yukon’s government introduced the Yukon Firearms Act — a law being proposed in a bid “to support responsible firearm owners” in the territory.
October 08, 2026
British Columbia Chief Judge Melissa Gillespie has announced the appointment of Matthew Turnell, Manpreet Mand and David Jenkins as provincial court judges.
October 08, 2026
When governments confront crime, a familiar political response is to build more jails, put more people behind bars and keep them there longer. It sounds reassuring, but it also confuses punishment with public safety.
October 07, 2026
The Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in R. v. Gauthier, 2026 ONCA 569 significantly clarifies the proper application of s. 24(2) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
October 06, 2026
Manitoba is looking to remove limitation periods for civil claims stemming from intimate partner violence involving “coercive control.” According to an Oct. 5 news release, the province has introduced legislative amendments to its Limitations Act that “would allow survivors to pursue civil action regardless of when the abuse occurred.”
October 06, 2026
A recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision illustrates the difficulty of overturning a jury verdict where the trial judge carefully addressed potentially problematic evidence and the sentence, although unusually severe, remains within the broad discretion afforded to sentencing judges.
October 05, 2026
For close to three years, I served as an external independent decision-maker for B.C. provincial correctional facilities. I decided if a prisoner was guilty of breaking a rule, and I handed down the penalty. My job was to maintain institutional safety and rehabilitate behaviour. The reality is, it didn’t work.