Family
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March 13, 2024
Family law disputes are between clients, not counsel | Gary Joseph
The recent case of China Yantia Friction v. Novalex Inc., 2024 ONSC 608, is must reading for all counsel who appear in our courts. Justice Charles Chang of the Superior Court of Justice heard this matter in person on Jan. 9, 2024 and released his decision on Jan. 26, 2024.
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March 13, 2024
B.C. strengthens information-sharing protections in child welfare legislation after court decision
The B.C. government has introduced a bill to safeguard personal privacy in its child welfare legislation, a move which comes nearly a year after the province’s top court struck down part of it as unconstitutional.
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March 12, 2024
More jails? | Norman Douglas
There are more than 60 retired Ontario Court judges on our private chat line. Most of us are wiser than when we were appointed. We have over a thousand years of hands-on experience in crime and punishment.
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March 12, 2024
Nova Scotia funding local groups in fighting gender-based violence
Nova Scotia is using its participation in a national gender violence action plan to fund more than a dozen front-line organizations in the province.
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March 12, 2024
Ending parental alienation accusations in court to protect children’s rights | Suzanne Zaccour
In January, a coalition led by the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) and composed of over 250 women’s rights and feminist organizations launched a campaign asking for a ban on parental alienation accusations. While we await legislative action by federal and provincial governments, lawyers and judges must do their part by refusing to put forward and entertain such claims.
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March 12, 2024
Embracing the ‘Week of Rest’: Surge in vacations among Canadian workers
As we settle into what's now affectionately known as the “Week of Rest,” Canadian businesses can expect to see a significant uptick in vacation requests.
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March 11, 2024
Federal ombud aims to drive ‘urgent reforms’ to justice system’s treatment of sex assault survivors
Asserting that the criminal justice system has “normalized” its infliction of pain on sexual assault survivors, the federal ombudsperson for crime victims says his office’s new systemic investigation of their experiences aims to make recommendations “to integrate a trauma-informed and victim-centred approach in the criminal justice system.”
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March 08, 2024
SCC rejects ‘rule’ for appellate review of credibility & reliability findings in sex assault cases
In a judgment welcomed by legal advocates for women on International Women’s Day, the Supreme Court of Canada has rejected a defence plea to recognize a new “rule” against trial judges’ reliance on “ungrounded common-sense assumptions” in sexual assault and other criminal cases that would give rise to an error of law when appellate courts are reviewing lower courts’ credibility and reliability findings.
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March 08, 2024
Court recognizes Bangladeshi divorce, despite fact former wife cannot apply for spousal support
Ontario’s top court has ruled that a “talaq” divorce obtained in Bangladesh was not contrary to Canadian public policy — while also highlighting the fact that its finding means the former wife is not able to seek spousal support under provincial family law legislation.
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March 07, 2024
Ottawa to launch new rural and Francophone-minority community immigration pilot programs in fall
The federal government says it will launch next “fall” two separate immigration pilot programs, in support of rural communities and Francophone-minority communities.