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Civil Litigation

  • August 31, 2026

    N.L. task force seeking ‘diverse perspectives’ in fighting gender-based violence

    A task force combatting gender-based violence in Newfoundland and Labrador is developing an engagement plan involving the “diverse perspectives” of various stakeholders, including survivors, newcomers, youth, 2SLGBTQIA+ people and those with “lived experience.”

  • August 31, 2026

    Can tariffs excuse performance of a commercial contract in Ontario?

    On Aug. 22, the United States imposed 50 per cent tariffs on a broad list of Canadian goods under s. 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which is a provision essentially unused for the better part of a century.

  • August 31, 2026

    What keeps me up at night and keeps me in family law

    This past July, the Ontario Bar Association’s family law section executive held its annual planning and insights meeting to help prepare for the year ahead. One of the questions we were asked was: What issues keep you up at night? As someone who has struggled with insomnia for basically my entire adult life, this wasn’t a straightforward question. But it did get me thinking about some of the serious challenges facing family lawyers today. This is not my typical research-heavy article. Instead, I wanted to share some of my reflections on my top three issues.

  • August 28, 2026

    Federal Court of Appeal upholds Human Rights Act’s $20,000 compensation caps

    The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed a constitutional challenge to two $20,000 compensation caps under the Canadian Human Rights Act — one for pain and suffering and the other for wilful or reckless discrimination — rejecting arguments that the limits violated successful complainants’ equality rights.

  • August 28, 2026

    Ontario court rules on estate case centring on ‘shortfall’ of cottage worth more than ‘estate residue’

    Ontario’s Appeal Court has ruled that the son of a deceased woman must pay his siblings for a “shortfall” after he inherited a cottage worth more than what the rest of the estate left behind.

  • August 28, 2026

    Friendly Bar Series, No. 18: Self-reps — Where does the work go?

    There is a familiar moment in family court.

  • August 28, 2026

    Stefanie Holland joins Aird & Berlis as chief growth officer

    Litigator Stefanie Holland has joined Aird & Berlis as the firm’s chief growth officer, leading the firm’s business development, marketing and communications functions and advising on the firm’s growth strategy, with a focus on client experience, business development and service excellence.

  • August 28, 2026

    Alleging errors in findings of facts is a sure way to lose your appeal

    A legal truism is that you need to put your best forward at trial and that you cannot count on an appeal to change the outcome. Appeals are based on identifying errors in law — mere disagreement with the trial judge’s findings of fact will not suffice.

  • August 28, 2026

    One win for employers, one for employees, and one for me

    It is not often that the Ontario Court of Appeal hands employers and employees each a win within the same week, but that is what happened this summer. And if you act for either side, or, like me, you spend much of your week mediating these disputes and nudging both parties toward a sensible number, the court just gave you two decisions worth reading.

  • August 27, 2026

    Lawyers for homeless man eyeing options after N.S. changes its rules on enhanced welfare benefits

    Lawyers in Nova Scotia are examining whether a legal challenge could be launched against the province after it made what they called the “cruel” move of amending income assistance regulations to make homeless people living in tents and cars ineligible for an enhanced welfare benefit.