The Complete Brief
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January 22, 2026
Two former justice ministers among Alberta lawyers criticizing province’s ‘unacceptable behaviour’
Two former Alberta justice ministers are among a group of lawyers and articling students attacking the provincial government for what they call “unacceptable behaviour” and urging Albertans to “use their voices to preserve our democratic institutions.”
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January 22, 2026
What I learned about artificial intelligence in the 1990s
My law firm had a thriving real estate practice in the 1980s. When the real estate market tanked from 1989 until about 1996, they were not happy times. We did not hire any real estate lawyers in those days.
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January 22, 2026
Nova Scotia issues new summary offences, fines for illegal fishing
Nova Scotia is clamping down on illegal fishing in the province by adding dozens of new offences and hiking fines.
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January 22, 2026
New group to take on animal welfare in Saskatchewan
The job of protecting animals in Saskatchewan is changing hands.
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January 22, 2026
Student paper snapshots in animal law
For the past 10 years, I have enjoyed teaching animal law as an adjunct professor at UBC’s Peter A. Allard School of Law in Vancouver. This year, I am showcasing snapshots from some of the thought-provoking research papers my students have produced.
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January 22, 2026
Prenuptial agreements and the theatre of pretence: We must finally catch up with reality
“Marriage may be sold as a fairy tale, but divorce is where the invoice arrives.” — Modern proverb
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January 22, 2026
B.C. Court of Appeal weighs in on Port Coquitlam neighbour dispute
“Good fences make good neighbours” is the oft-quoted line from Robert Frost’s poem Mending Wall. It suggests that clear boundaries and respect for personal space foster better relationships. Even with walls and fences, relationships sometimes sour.
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January 22, 2026
Cassels adds 11 new partners
Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP has announced that 11 lawyers have been admitted into its partnership for 2026.
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January 22, 2026
Canada’s new citizenship law is disrupting the global passport market
In the volatile global marketplace for “Plan B” residency and secondary citizenship, a new titan has emerged — and it isn’t a Mediterranean tax haven or a Caribbean island. With the quiet implementation of Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025), on Dec. 15, 2025, Canada has effectively disrupted the multibillion-dollar “golden passport” industry, positioning the Canadian passport as the most sought-after asset in global mobility.
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January 22, 2026
Revocation of joint will not revocation as it pertains to surviving testator: B.C. court
B.C.’s top court has ruled a judge was incorrect when he decided a man had died intestate because a will he wrote with his wife had been revoked before her death.