Labour & Employment
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December 09, 2025
Are Canadian courts fit for purpose?
With the Cowichan Tribes v. Canada (Attorney General), 2025 BCSC 1490 decision, the British Columbia Supreme Court cast aside nearly a millennium of certainty regarding land ownership. It did this by severely limiting the rights inherent to fee simple title. It additionally declared invalid land titles under the province’s Torrens land registry system (undermining the provincial guaranty inherent in Torrens systems). Given the nature of the claim, namely ownership and development of land that occurred in the absence of a formal treaty, this decision has nationwide implications.
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December 09, 2025
Lost trust: How employee post-incident conduct becomes springboard to just cause
Employers hate when I tell them that instead of firing an employee immediately after suspected misconduct, they should conduct a proper, objective investigation that includes confronting the employee and giving them a chance to provide their version of events. After spending far too much of my life studying summary dismissal, I can confidently say that this step is critical in almost every case if the employer wants to defend a cause termination.
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December 08, 2025
‘Simpler’ express entry pathway opening for foreign surgeons, family docs/GPs & clinical specialists
Ottawa says invitations to apply for a “simpler” express entry pathway to permanent residence will go out “in early 2026” to foreign doctors who have at least one year of Canadian work experience in an eligible occupation gained within the last three years.
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December 08, 2025
Quebec’s young lawyers are suffering psychological distress, report reveals
More than 60 per cent of Quebec lawyers with fewer than 10 years of experience suffer from psychological distress, a comprehensive study reveals, painting a disconcerting portrait of young lawyers overwhelmed by stress and struggling with the pressures of billable hours and long workweeks.
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December 08, 2025
Where and how you file a TN work permit application for Canadian professional matters
Many Canadians take for granted the ease with which they can apply for TN (Trade NAFTA) work authorization at a U.S. border or preclearance location. Generally, and for those who qualify, it is a quick and inexpensive way to obtain permission to work for a specific employer or U.S. clients of a Canadian business.
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December 08, 2025
Look out! Bait-and-switch tactics during the holiday season
The holiday season in Canada is a time for celebration, gift-giving and, sadly, an increased volume of deceptive advertising practices. As consumers navigate the wave of tantalizing promotions and discounts, it becomes essential to understand legal protections, particularly regarding bait-and-switch tactics, and to remain vigilant when making purchases.
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December 08, 2025
The hidden mental health crisis facing Canada’s immigration lawyers
Over the past several years, the Canadian immigration system has been transformed by political volatility, rising refusal rates, increasing automation and a level of unpredictability unprecedented in modern practice. Policies change suddenly, pathways disappear without warning, caps are imposed overnight and entire programs fluctuate depending on the priorities of whichever minister happens to be in office that year.
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December 08, 2025
Lawyer’s desecration of Holocaust monument highlights rise of professional-class antisemitism
On Dec. 1, Justice Anne London-Weinstein of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice heard sentencing submissions for Iain Aspenlieder, an Ottawa municipal lawyer who vandalized Canada’s National Holocaust Monument. Her Honour said that Aspenlieder’s actions exemplify a growing and deeply unsettling reality: antisemitism in Canada is increasingly emerging not from the poor or uneducated, but from the educated and professionally empowered.
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December 04, 2025
N.B. releases latest disability action plan
New Brunswick has released its new disability action plan, which makes numerous recommendations around addressing poverty among that population — with an objective to increase access to justice and “legal decision-making supports.”
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December 04, 2025
CRA lifts moratorium on T4A penalties for trucking sector
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced that as of Dec. 4, it has lifted the moratorium on penalties for failing to report fees for services in the trucking sector for the 2025 tax year and subsequent years.