The Complete Brief
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May 16, 2025
Major immigration policy challenges for Carney government
As Mark Carney begins his term as prime minister, the government faces numerous immigration-related challenges. From the growing influx of international students, rising refugee claims, immigration fraud, ongoing delays in application processing, and mounting backlogs, each issue demands thoughtful, strategic solutions. Addressing these pressing concerns will be key to shaping a more efficient, fair and sustainable immigration system.
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May 16, 2025
B.C. Court of Appeal caps opioid appeal factums at 195 pages per side
The B.C. Court of Appeal has capped factums in the province’s national opioid class action appeals at 195 pages per side, rejecting the defendants’ bid for nearly 300 pages and ordering aligned parties to co-ordinate submissions to avoid duplication and inefficiency.
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May 16, 2025
Court of Appeal: SOIRA exemption unlikely with shorter sentence
On Oct. 28, 2022, the Supreme Court of Canada declared the provisions of SOIRA (Sexual Offender Information Registry Act) unconstitutional (R. v. Ndhlovu, 2022 SCC 38). Section 1 of the Charter could not save the provisions.
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May 16, 2025
Red tape reduction in Canadian hemp landscape
On March 12, 2025, the Regulations amending certain regulations concerning cannabis (streamlining of requirements) and the Order Amending Schedule 2 to the Cannabis Act (collectively, the Amendments) came into force, which had the effect of amending the Industrial Hemp Regulations (IHR) to allow for more permissive activities with hemp seed derivative products and certain other plant materials. Updated to the Canadian hemp legislative regime are relatively rare and these Amendments have been generally welcomed by industry.
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May 16, 2025
Rules of Civil Procedure as seen by the Oracle of Belleville
New Rules of Civil Procedure — ahem
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May 15, 2025
Ottawa welcomes ‘historic’ international ruling that Russia shot down Malaysian civilian airliner
As Canada pursues a separate case against Iran at the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) — for the illegal downing of a Ukrainian civilian airliner in 2020 — Ottawa said it “welcomes” the ICAO’s recent determination that the Russian Federation shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014, in breach of Russia’s obligations under international law.
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May 15, 2025
Court allows anti-SLAPP motion in mall redevelopment case
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has allowed an anti-SLAPP motion finding that a developer wanted to “gag” a student who brought legitimate concerns to the city regarding the redevelopment of a Mississauga mall.
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May 15, 2025
Related but distinct: The different evidentiary thresholds for pursuing future loss claims at trial
In a jury trial, a question is only put to the jury if there is reasonable evidence upon which a jury properly instructed in the law could make a finding on that issue. When it comes to claims for future losses, the plaintiff must only establish that there is a real and substantial risk those losses will occur. It is on that basis that the court must look at the evidence and determine whether it is sufficient and can be put to the jury.
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May 15, 2025
Public Policy Forum report on energy, mineral investment highlights ‘streamlining regulations’
The Public Policy Forum (PPF) has released a “landmark report” outlining strategies to accelerate investment in energy, critical mineral and infrastructure projects, which “could generate $1.1 trillion in GDP growth by 2035.”
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May 15, 2025
Alberta severance award for COVID vaccine non-compliance may be a first, lawyer says
An Alberta judge has awarded a former WestJet employee just over $65,000 for wrongful dismissal in a decision that one lawyer involved says breaks new ground in Canadian jurisprudence.