The Complete Brief
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June 11, 2025
Employer has duty to investigate both incidents and complaints of harassment: Ontario Appeal Court
Ontario’s highest court has ruled that an arbitrator was wrong to reinstate five Metrolinx employees accused of sexual harassment, saying the company was statutorily obligated to investigate the situation even in the absence of a formal complaint.
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June 11, 2025
When the gatekeeper fails: Lessons from California’s botched 2025 bar exam
In February 2025, the State Bar of California conducted what was supposed to be a streamlined, cost-efficient bar examination — an experiment in modern legal licensure. Instead, it devolved into one of the most publicized failures of professional credentialing in recent memory. As lawyers in Ontario and across Canada observe an evolving conversation around lawyer competence and access to the profession, California’s case serves as a stark warning about the dangers of opaque governance, overreliance on private contractors and the erosion of professional oversight in legal licensing.
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June 11, 2025
Electricity Alliance Canada outlines five priorities for feds, urges project approvals
Electricity Alliance Canada has called on the federal government to “develop a bold and immediate plan” for electricity, stressing that one is “urgently needed to meet growing demand, secure the country’s economic future and become an energy superpower.”
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June 11, 2025
REAL PROPERTY TAX - Assessment - Taxing authority - Exemptions - Land transfer tax - Payment of
Appeal by His Majesty the King in right of the Province of British Columbia (the "Province") from an order exempting respondent 1084204 B.C. Ltd. ("108") from payment of an additional transfer tax (ATT) on property under the Property Transfer Tax Act (Act).
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June 11, 2025
Judicial scarcity and Civil Rules Review: We can’t get there from here without more judges
The Civil Rules Review Phase 2 (CRR) states: “There is consensus that the problem of access to timely and affordable civil justice has only gotten worse since Hryniak, particularly following the Supreme Court’s decision in R. v. Jordan” (Hryniak v. Mauldin, [2014] 1 S.C.R. 87; R. v. Jordan, [2016] 1 S.C.R. 631).
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June 11, 2025
Appeal Court stands by trial judge’s balance between probative value and prejudicial evidence
It has been a 13-year ordeal for both the accused and the victim’s family. Unless there is a further appeal, Adam Picard will remain in prison. After being charged with first-degree murder in 2012, a court stayed the prosecution of Picard due to unreasonable delay in 2016 (R. v. Picard, 2016 ONSC 7061). That decision was overturned by the Ontario Court of Appeal (R. v. Picard, 2017 ONCA 692).
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June 11, 2025
Ombudsman to probe Ontario’s response to incident where jail inmates were stripped
Ontario’s ombudsman has launched an investigation into the province’s response to a controversial incident at a correctional facility, where inmates were stripped to their boxer shorts, zip-tied and made to sit on the floor as officers in tactical gear stood guard.
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June 11, 2025
Multijurisdictional estates: Resealing and ancillary probate grants in Ontario
One of the first legal steps in managing the estate of a loved one who has passed away can be the need for probate — the court process that confirms the validity of a will and grants authority to the executor to administer the estate.
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June 11, 2025
Expedited U.S. immigration removal: What is it and do you need to be concerned?
There has been significant concern recently about entries to the United States, specifically how to ensure that you will continue to be able to enter the U.S. as a traveller for business or pleasure. Articles in foreign media have highlighted recent actions taken to limit the ability of foreign nationals to enter or stay in the U.S., causing some people to cancel their travel plans for fear that they may be targeted by U.S. immigration authorities.
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June 11, 2025
Questions regarding taxable versus exempt supplies put to rest in Medsleep decision
As per the lengthy decision of the Tax Court of Canada in Medsleep Inc. v. The King, 2025 TCC 70 (Medsleep), the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) unsuccessfully attempted to recharacterize a GST/HST-exempt supply into a partially non-exempt supply, thereby increasing the tax owing.