Criminal
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January 08, 2026
Nova Scotia releases first 2SLGBTQIA+ action plan
Nova Scotia has released its first 2SLGBTQIA+ action plan, which includes addressing that community’s lack of trust in the province’s justice system. A Jan. 8 news release describes the action plan as a “co-ordinated road map to advance equity, improve access to services and supports, and build safer, more inclusive communities.”
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January 08, 2026
Camelot, Marilyn and the mirage of proof: A journalist’s blunder as blueprint for honest lawyering
Over the holiday break, I had the pleasure of watching the Netflix documentary Cover-Up, which explores the life and career of legendary investigative journalist and author Seymour Hersh. Hersh is known for exposing truths behind government veils. In this documentary, he is portrayed as a somewhat mercurial character, but nonetheless his deeply rooted humanity shows through.
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January 07, 2026
Judge Simmons retires from Nova Scotia Provincial Court
The Honourable Ann Marie Simmons has retired from the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia following a legal career spanning nearly 40 years.
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January 07, 2026
Indeterminate sentence upheld despite Gladue appeal
We are all familiar with the fact that trials of Indigenous accused require reviewing what have been called Gladue principles, which can lead to a shorter sentence (R. v. Gladue, [1999] 1 S.C.R. 688). How those principles play out when a court reviews a dangerous offender application was recently the focus of a Saskatchewan Court of Appeal decision (R. v. Sewap, 2025 SKCA 114).
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January 06, 2026
The problems of Nazi-looted possessions sold at auctions
Just as you are enjoying that beautiful impressionist painting on your wall and sitting comfortably on that Louis XV chaise longue, a letter arrives from a well-known auction house informing you that both the painting and the chaise longue may have been looted during the Second World War. How is that possible? You bought both objects at that same impeccable auction house, which is now informing you that their provenance research was not watertight after all.
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January 06, 2026
‘Every stone must now be overturned to find this man some hope’: Anita Szigeti to Court of Appeal
An important case was argued before the Ontario Court of Appeal on Jan. 5, 2026. The appellant, Camelott Hamblett, is a middle-aged Black man who has spent half his life locked in a small cell in a maximum-security psychiatric facility. He has had treatment-resistant schizophrenia since his teens and continues to experience highly distressing hallucinations.
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January 05, 2026
Ontario’s new rules, regulations run from labour and employment to road safety
New year, new rules. A number of new regulations and legislative initiatives have now come into effect after the clock ticked over into 2026, addressing a wide swath of areas from labour market barriers to road safety.
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January 05, 2026
Federal Court of Appeal agrees octogenarians are relevant consumers for confusion analysis
In a judgment delivered on Nov. 28, 2025, 18 months after the appeal case was argued, the Federal Court of Appeal released its long-awaited ruling in Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd. v. Novartis AG, 2025 FCA 212, dismissing an appeal from a decision of Justice Christine Pallotta reported at Novartis AG v. Biogen, Inc., 2024 FC 52.
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January 05, 2026
Section 117.05 firearms hearing: A challenge to firearm possession in Dupree
Canadians may be interested in owning firearms for different reasons, including hunting, recreational or sport shooting, collecting or maintaining family traditions if they live in remote or rural areas of the country. Before anyone can own a firearm, they must go through rigorous training and successfully complete background checks.
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January 05, 2026
EXTRADITION AND CRIMINAL MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE - Extraditable offences - Bars to extradition
Appeal by appellant from committal order for extradition to the United States, application to admit fresh evidence, and judicial review of the Minister’s surrender decision. The appellant, a Canadian citizen, was sought by the U.S. for prosecution on charges relating to alleged child exploitation communications with two minors in Pennsylvania.