The Complete Brief
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April 17, 2026
Manitoba giving public safety funding to Brandon, Portage la Prairie
Building on its ongoing public safety strategy, Manitoba’s government is giving half a million dollars to two of its cities in the name of enhancing security and preventing crime.
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April 17, 2026
No contest clauses beyond will challenges: Can estate litigation result in disinheritance?
Testators have long used no contest clauses to threaten disinheritance should a beneficiary challenge their will. Recently, it became clear that no contest clauses can also extend beyond will challenges to discourage beneficiaries from commencing other forms of estate litigation.
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April 17, 2026
Court confirms competition commissioner can use s. 11 powers during tribunal proceedings
The Federal Court of Appeal has upheld a finding that the competition commissioner retains the power to seek ex parte orders compelling the production of documents and testimony under the Competition Act even after commencing proceedings before the Competition Tribunal.
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April 17, 2026
Court dismisses appeal by defendant physician, clarifies hearsay and opinion evidence exceptions
The case of Gumbley v. Vasiliou, 2025 ONCA 851 involved 28-year-old Ashley Gumbley, a mother of three with a history of asthma.
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April 17, 2026
Appeal Court overturns order to remove manufactured homes from reserve lands
The British Columbia Court of Appeal has overturned an order requiring former residents of manufactured houses to physically remove their homes from the reserve lands they were ordered to vacate.
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April 17, 2026
Officers of the court: First line of defence in catching fake cases, fabricated quotations
Almost three years ago, the decision of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Mata v. Avianca, Inc., 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108263 made sensational worldwide headlines as one of the first cases to penalize lawyers for the use of fake cases generated by ChatGPT in their legal briefs.
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April 17, 2026
Career tip: What to do when the Sunday evening blues start on Friday afternoon
On my first day of practice, I bought a leather armchair that I fully intended to use forever. Retirement was something that happened to senior partners, disgruntled lawyers or cranky old judges.
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April 17, 2026
The case for in-person court attendances
My friend Steve Benmor made some excellent arguments recently in favour of Zoom attendances on motions (The Zoom paradox: When a judge’s words and his court’s actions collide). He backs it up by quoting the extremely persuasive comments of Justice Fred Myers of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. I recognize and respect their arguments but let me address a couple of matters not addressed in their submissions on this issue.
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April 17, 2026
POWERS OF SEARCH AND SEIZURE - Seizure - Forfeiture of items seized
Appeal by the Crown from a judgment of the Quebec Court of Appeal which declared that the Court of Québec did not have jurisdiction to hear a motion for forfeiture brought by the Crown. The respondents and others were charged with offences under the Criminal Code (Code) and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Some of their property was seized by the police.
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April 17, 2026
Analysis of B.C. Court of Appeal decision Zhang v. Strata Plan BCS
This British Columbia Court of Appeal case highlights how the enforcement powers of the strata plan for unpaid strata fees and the egregious conduct of the homeowner can lead to the dismissal of the appeal (Zhang v. Strata Plan BCS 4288, 2026 BCCA 55). The homeowner, Shimin Zhang (Zhang), is the appellant and the Strata Plan (Strata) is the respondent in the appeal.