The Complete Brief

  • July 10, 2026

    Kaelyn Macaulay joins MLT Aikins as associate in Calgary

    Kaelyn Macaulay has joined MLT Aikins as an associate in its Calgary office.

  • July 10, 2026

    Supreme Court upholds 6-month mandatory minimum for soliciting or obtaining sex with children

    The Supreme Court of Canada has affirmed 7-2 the constitutional validity of the mandatory minimum penalty (MMP) of six months’ incarceration for those who pay to obtain — or communicate to buy — sex with persons under age 18. On July 10, Justices Suzanne Côté and Michelle O’Bonsawin, in joint reasons for the majority, allowed the appeal of the Attorney General of Quebec and set aside the Quebec Court of Appeal’s 2024 decision that struck down s. 286.1(2)(a) of the Criminal Code as a violation of the Charter’s s. 12 prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment: Quebec (Attorney General) v. Denis, 2026 SCC 25.

  • July 10, 2026

    B.C.’s racist incident helpline expands to support 2SLGBTQIA+ callers

    British Columbia’s Racist Incident Helpline is expanding support to those experiencing hate based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

  • July 10, 2026

    The expanding role of digital evidence in personal injury cases

    Personal injury litigation has always been driven by evidence, serving as the foundation upon which liability and damages are established.

  • July 10, 2026

    Ontario court says insurability rule has no time limit

    Ontario’s top court has ruled that a section of the provincial Insurance Act that allows insurers to deny coverage due to changes in a person’s circumstances is not time-limited.

  • July 10, 2026

    Court rejects extension to opt out of medical negligence class action

    The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has dismissed a motion to extend an opt-out deadline in a national class action concerning contaminated heart-surgery devices, finding the defendants would be prejudiced after negotiating a settlement in principle. This was despite the class member’s injuries and acting in good faith.

  • July 10, 2026

    McCarthy Tétrault adds finance partner Nancy Smith

    McCarthy Tétrault has added Nancy D. Smith as a partner in its business law group in Calgary.

  • July 10, 2026

    Many trial judges overworked and stressed — but not as much as lawyers: new national survey

    Many federally appointed trial judges report stress from excessive workloads, limited control over their time in the workplace and too few support resources, according to a new national survey of judges’ physical and psychological health. On July 9, the Canadian Judicial Council (CJC) reported on extensive research commissioned from the Université de Sherbrooke between 2024 and 2026 by the council of 44 chief and associate chief justices.

  • July 10, 2026

    Ripe for disaster: Ontario court reiterates importance of causation analyses in coverage disputes

    The recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision in Green Rise Foods Inc. v. N. V. Hagelunie, 2026 ONCA 334 (Green Rise) serves as a helpful reminder of the importance of a careful causation analysis in insurance coverage disputes where several factors arguably caused or contributed to the claimed loss.

  • July 10, 2026

    Public law meets private actions: How to sue for abuse of public power

    Bringing an action against a government actor can be riddled with difficulty. Immunity provisions frequently shield state conduct from civil actions. Where a claim is not carefully crafted, it can easily be dismissed on a preliminary motion as an improper means of seeking to reverse the impugned government decision itself. Moreover, torts like misfeasance of public office have very specific requirements that must be proved if you are to succeed.