The Complete Brief

  • September 29, 2026

    A royal opt-out: Lawyers’ constitutional freedoms and the fine print of Alberta bar calls

    Since November 2025, Alberta students-at-law are no longer required to pledge “true allegiance” to King Charles III to become an Alberta lawyer. Yet most don’t even know it.

  • September 29, 2026

    Oath of allegiance to the King and Quebec’s National Assembly: A ticking time bomb

    On Oct. 5, Quebecers will be voting for the politicians who are together supposed to constitute the 43rd legislature of Quebec’s National Assembly. However, a law passed by the assembly following the election held on Oct. 3, 2022, risks undermining the legality of any parliamentary activities, votes and laws adopted by the new legislature after it begins sitting later this fall. This is the law titled An Act to recognize the oath provided in the Act respecting the National Assembly as the sole oath required in order to sit in the Assembly, S.Q. 2022, c. 30 (Act to recognize the oath).

  • September 29, 2026

    Writs of mandamus in U.S. immigration law: What they are, when to use them

    In general, a writ of mandamus (“mandamus”) is a formal court order that requires a government official, an agency or a lower court to take a specific action. The action must be within the duties of the office, agency or court, and there must be a legal requirement that the action be performed. Mandamus is extraordinary relief and is effectively utilized when there is a clear legal duty to be performed, a clear right to relief on the part of the petitioner, and the petitioner appears to have no alternative to obtain the relief they deserve.

  • September 29, 2026

    COMMUNITIES AND GOVERNANCE - Practice and procedure - Courts - Jurisdiction

    Appeal by the appellants from a Federal Court decision dismissing their motion for default judgment against the Kehewin Band and Kehewin Band Council (jointly, “Kehewin”) for lack of jurisdiction.

  • September 29, 2026

    APPEALS - Bias - Question of law - Powers of appellate court - To receive new evidence

    Appeal by appellant from his conviction for sexual assault. The complainant alleged that the appellant sexually assaulted her while they were alone at a river, including digital and penile penetration, while the appellant admitted only limited consensual sexual activity initiated by the complainant and denied any penetration.

  • September 29, 2026

    Negotiation damages for online trademark infringement

    In this case, the plaintiffs were a group of associated Swatch companies (Swatch) that owned a series of trademarks including Swatch, Tissot and Longines, registered for use with watches and in some cases smartwatches. The claim related to digital watch faces (apps) that could be downloaded to Samsung’s smartwatches from the Samsung Galaxy app store (SGA store).

  • September 29, 2026

    The blind spot: An adjudicator’s view of B.C. Corrections prison cells

    Inside B.C. provincial jails, cells are the only places with privacy on regular ranges, such as general population or protective custody units. No cameras are inside or point inside. Because of that, a cell or “house” is where hidden activity takes place, everything from assaults, fights, gambling, tattooing, making hooch and using drugs to resolving disputes.

  • September 28, 2026

    Proposed settlement of $3.4M-$8.7M reached in sexual assault class action

    A settlement agreement has been reached between the plaintiff and the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) to settle a class action that was brought against it and the defendant, Phillip (Hart) Baugniet, in an alleged sexual assault case.

  • September 28, 2026

    Manitoba to expand presumptive compensation coverage for firefighters

    Manitoba is strengthening workers’ compensation coverage for firefighters by widening the scope of job-related sickness and presuming their illnesses are work-related.

  • September 28, 2026

    LSO convocation approves cybersecurity program, real estate rule updates

    The Law Society of Ontario (LSO) has approved participation in a cybersecurity awareness program for lawyers and paralegals as the profession faces increasingly sophisticated threats to confidential client information, funds and property.

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