The Complete Brief

  • June 17, 2026

    Ontario appeal on Indigenous child class action dismissal allows 4 interveners

    Four mainly First Nations organizations were granted leave to intervene in a proposed class proceeding in September by Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Lise Favreau in a ruling released on June 12. In B.M. v. Ontario, 2026 ONCA 422, Justice Favreau said the Anishinabek Nation, the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), the Chiefs of Ontario and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation will be able to participate as friends of the court in an appeal of a motion judge’s decision to dismiss a claim as a class proceeding.

  • June 17, 2026

    Lawyer not entitled to contingency fees on files resolved after departure: court

    The Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled that a lawyer who was paid on a contingency basis is not entitled to commissions for work on files completed after his departure, finding that his employment agreement provided for compensation only for claims successfully resolved while he remained at the firm.

  • June 17, 2026

    Alberta Court of Appeal upholds two fraud convictions but orders new trial on third charge

    After a lengthy trial, Jeffrey Brian Ber was found guilty on Sept. 18, 2024, of two counts of fraud over $5,000 and one count of accepting a secret commission. He appealed to the Alberta Court of Appeal, arguing that the trial judge committed several legal and evidentiary errors that undermined all the verdicts.

  • June 17, 2026

    IRCC updates crisis-response processing instructions

    On June 9, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated its Program Delivery Instructions (PDIs) for in-Canada temporary special measures related to Haiti, Palestine, Sudan and Ukraine: Program delivery update: Crisis Response Temporary Measures.

  • June 17, 2026

    Active listening: A tool for lawyers

    Used by hostage negotiators, journalists, mediators and others, active listening provides a shortcut to developing trust and understanding between people. For lawyers, its application is professionally significant: those who listen actively stand to develop stronger client relationships, gain clearer insight into client needs and are better positioned to provide effective representation.

  • June 17, 2026

    False or misleading statements that discredit a competitor

    Pleadings define each party’s case. They frame the litigation and set out the material facts said to support the causes of action or defences presented. A party may move to strike an opposing pleading where it fails to disclose a reasonable cause of action or a tenable defence.

  • June 17, 2026

    WORKERS’ COMPENSATION - Benefits - Measure of compensation - Method of calculation - Compensability of injuries

    Appeal by Thomas from a decision of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal (Tribunal) dismissing his appeal of a determination by WorkSafeNB concerning the calculation of his loss‑of‑earnings benefits. Thomas worked as a paramedic for Ambulance New Brunswick and later developed Post‑Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) arising from cumulative workplace trauma. He was suspended in July 2014 following drug‑related criminal charges and was later dismissed after pleading guilty and serving a term of imprisonment.

  • June 16, 2026

    B.C. court dismisses application to quash multiple Fisheries Act charges

    The British Columbia Supreme Court has dismissed an application arguing that multiple charges stemming from a tailings storage facility failure were duplicative. It found that five affected bodies of water were legally distinct.

  • June 16, 2026

    Ottawa introduces First Nations clean water bill with $4.6B funding commitment

    The federal government has introduced legislation that would establish enforceable drinking water and wastewater standards on First Nation lands and announced a $4.6-billion funding commitment for water and wastewater infrastructure in First Nation communities.

  • June 16, 2026

    Charter does not impose positive right to reimbursement for out-of-province health care: B.C. court

    B.C.’s top court has turned back an argument by a man who went to the United States to receive medical treatment that the province’s failure to reimburse his costs violated his constitutional rights.

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