The Complete Brief
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December 19, 2025
Deferred custody provisions in youth criminal legislation constitutional: Ontario Appeal Court
Ontario’s top court has ruled that prohibitions on deferred custody in the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) do not violate the Charter, with some legal observers saying the decision limits the flexibility of sentencing judges.
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December 19, 2025
Woods adds litigators Aliya Behar and Basma El Farouk
Woods LLP has added Aliya Behar and Basma El Farouk to its litigation team in Montreal following their call to the Quebec bar, the firm announced.
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December 19, 2025
Lawyering lessons learned at Santa’s knee
I did not know until a recent experience at my local Tim Hortons that there are striking similarities between judges and Santa Clauses. I was sipping my medium double double when I overhead a group of young children sitting at an adjacent table having a chat. They sounded a lot like lawyers at the pub sizing up judges. I listened keenly.
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December 19, 2025
The Friendly Bar Series, No. 14: Remembering the ‘why’ — A Friendly Bar reflection
As the year comes to a close, it is natural to reflect on our work, our choices and the reasons we entered this profession. Lawyers often get caught chasing success, recognition, or the next case milestone and, in doing so, lose sight of the deeper purpose that first drew them to law.
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December 19, 2025
Self-rep fails to convince Appeal Court to cancel $270,000 of support arrears
A case involving more than $270,000 in accumulated child and spousal support arrears, Garousi v. Garousi, 2025 BCCA 392, highlights several recurring issues in applications for retroactive variation of support, including chronic non-compliance, evidentiary shortcomings and the impact of significant arrears on both variation and appellate relief.
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December 19, 2025
Resident plaintiff may be added to non-resident action before certification: B.C. Court of Appeal
The B.C. Court of Appeal has confirmed that a proposed class action does not fail merely because it was commenced by a non-resident, holding that the subsequent addition of a B.C. plaintiff provides sufficient standing for the action to move forward to certification.
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December 19, 2025
PARTIES - Novation
Appeal by Ville de Sainte-Julie (City) and cross-appeal by Les Investissements Laroda inc. (Laroda) from a judgment of the Quebec Court of Appeal which ordered the City to pay Laroda $287,458.
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December 19, 2025
Buffone’s parole: A step toward exoneration?
In what may seem like Part II of a never-ending saga, the Parole Board of Canada granted Vito Buffone day parole to a community residential facility yet to be named.
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December 19, 2025
A season for sharing: The legal and moral case for ensuring everyone has enough food at Christmas
Every Christmas, families across Canada gather around warm meals that symbolize dignity, community and care. Yet for many households in Alberta and across the country, rising costs and winter pressures make it difficult to afford even the most basic groceries. Food insecurity turns what should be a season of comfort into a time of anxiety.
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December 19, 2025
CRIMINAL CODE OFFENCES - Weapons offences
Appeal by Crown from acquittal of respondent on firearms charges. A confidential informant told police that the respondent knew who was behind his fiancée’s murder and was planning to take matters into his own hands.