Civil Litigation
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December 19, 2025
Lawyering lessons learned at Santa’s knee
I did not know until a recent experience at my local Tim Hortons that there are striking similarities between judges and Santa Clauses. I was sipping my medium double double when I overhead a group of young children sitting at an adjacent table having a chat. They sounded a lot like lawyers at the pub sizing up judges. I listened keenly.
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December 19, 2025
Self-rep fails to convince Appeal Court to cancel $270,000 of support arrears
A case involving more than $270,000 in accumulated child and spousal support arrears, Garousi v. Garousi, 2025 BCCA 392, highlights several recurring issues in applications for retroactive variation of support, including chronic non-compliance, evidentiary shortcomings and the impact of significant arrears on both variation and appellate relief.
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December 19, 2025
Resident plaintiff may be added to non-resident action before certification: B.C. Court of Appeal
The B.C. Court of Appeal has confirmed that a proposed class action does not fail merely because it was commenced by a non-resident, holding that the subsequent addition of a B.C. plaintiff provides sufficient standing for the action to move forward to certification.
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December 19, 2025
PARTIES - Novation
Appeal by Ville de Sainte-Julie (City) and cross-appeal by Les Investissements Laroda inc. (Laroda) from a judgment of the Quebec Court of Appeal which ordered the City to pay Laroda $287,458.
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December 19, 2025
A season for sharing: The legal and moral case for ensuring everyone has enough food at Christmas
Every Christmas, families across Canada gather around warm meals that symbolize dignity, community and care. Yet for many households in Alberta and across the country, rising costs and winter pressures make it difficult to afford even the most basic groceries. Food insecurity turns what should be a season of comfort into a time of anxiety.
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December 18, 2025
Staffing issues at N.L. provincial courts overdue for solutions: lawyers
Problems that have led to the recent stoppage of civil, traffic and other matters in some of Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial courts should have been dealt with some time ago, say lawyers.
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December 18, 2025
Court allows misrepresentation claims to proceed in merger dispute against Dragon's Den investor
In a merger dispute case against Dragon’s Den investor Arlene Dickinson alleging misrepresentation and unjust enrichment, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled on her motion to strike, striking some pleadings and clarifying how claims should be made in cases involving a future financial forecast.
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December 18, 2025
NEGLIGENCE - Contributory negligence - Apportionment of liability - Motor vehicles - Pedestrians
Appeal by Basmadjian of trial jury’s decision that found her 90 per cent at fault for an accident. Basmadjian was a pedestrian and was struck by Anna Lidia Kovac.
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December 17, 2025
FCA upholds finding that ISC unreasonably denied Jordan’s Principle funding for mould remediation
The Federal Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling that set aside Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)’s refusal to fund mould remediation in the on-reserve home of two First Nations children, finding that the department’s reasons were insufficient and failed to meaningfully engage with the funding applicant’s submissions.
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December 17, 2025
Ontario Court of Appeal resolves ‘jurisdictional dead end’ in labour dispute
Ontario’s top court has ruled that judges must maintain authority over claims involving entities not party to a collective agreement, but has emphasized that “proper respect” is owed to specialized tribunals and requires courts to consider staying parallel litigation if the dispute is before a labour arbitrator.