The Complete Brief
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February 24, 2026
Gwendolyn Point joins BCFNJC Elders Council
The B.C. First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC) has welcomed Gwendolyn Point to its Elders and Knowledge Keepers Council.
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February 24, 2026
Kara Hill rejoins Harper Grey in health law role
Kara Hill has returned to Harper Grey LLP as counsel with the firm’s health law group.
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February 24, 2026
Federal Court of Appeal rules foreign continuance to bypass CCPC tax regime abusive
The Federal Court of Appeal has held that the general anti-avoidance rule (GAAR) applies where a company re-registers outside Canada in order to avoid the anti-deferral tax regime for Canadian-controlled private corporations (CCPCs).
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February 24, 2026
Partial summary judgment after Kotsopoulos: Structural reset in Ontario civil procedure
The Court of Appeal’s decision in Kotsopoulos v. Toronto (City), 2026 ONCA 121 appears, at first glance, to be a routine municipal liability appeal. It is not. It is a procedural recalibration. The judgment reinforces that partial summary judgment is not merely a tactical device. It is an exception to the structural integrity of the trial process, and courts must guard that integrity carefully.
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February 24, 2026
CUSTODY, PARENTING, AND ACCESS - Custody and parenting time - Access
Appeal by mother from a case management order that dismissed her application. The application was for recusal of the case management judge (judge) on grounds of reasonable apprehension of bias and varied interim parenting arrangements. The parties married in 2010, separated in 2021, and had one child.
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February 23, 2026
Manitoba holds summit on extortion, invests in Punjabi Chamber of Commerce
The Manitoba government held a summit in Winnipeg on Feb. 20 to address “safety concerns” from business owners and community members about “alleged extortion incidents happening in the city.”
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February 23, 2026
Pallett Valo adds Areeb Daimee to insurance defence group
Areeb Daimee has joined Pallett Valo’s insurance defence group, according to the firm.
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February 23, 2026
Patrick Sullivan to join Cox & Palmer as strategic business adviser
Cox & Palmer has appointed Patrick Sullivan as a strategic business adviser in its Halifax office, according to the firm. He will join the firm on March 16, 2026.
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February 23, 2026
Federal Court upholds immigration admissibility referral despite procedural fairness breach
The Federal Court has dismissed a judicial review challenging referrals for immigration admissibility hearings, finding that although the applicants were denied procedural fairness, their proposed submissions would not have altered the decision.
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February 23, 2026
B.C. Court of Appeal reinforces presumption of early vesting in estate law
When does a class gift vest — upon the testator’s death or at a later time? While vesting often turns on how a will is drafted, in Jack Estate v. Jack Estate, 2026 BCCA 18, the British Columbia Court of Appeal reaffirmed that the presumption of early vesting applies to class gifts absent clear language to the contrary in the testator’s will. The court also made it clear in this decision that the vesting of testamentary gifts will not ordinarily be tied to the timing of estate administration.