Family
-
March 21, 2024
Ottawa cuts back on temporary foreign workers; reduces permitted percentage of ‘low wage’ workers
The federal government has announced it is “adjusting” its temporary foreign worker program which has experienced “a surge in demand” due to the post-pandemic economy, low unemployment rates, and record-high job vacancy rates in 2022.
-
March 21, 2024
Politicization of tribunal appointments worse than that of judicial appointments | Brian Cook
Recent moves by the current government to politicize the process of appointing judges have caused significant concern. The process for appointing adjudicators who sit on Ontario’s adjudicative tribunals is much worse. The government has been criticized for making political appointments to the committee responsible for making judicial appointment recommendations. There is no such committee, and virtually no other form of oversight for appointments to adjudicative tribunals.
-
March 20, 2024
Cherished Mulroney memory | Bruce Baker
In the past few weeks, many tributes have been paid to former prime minister Brian Mulroney. As a lifelong New Democrat, one might think that I have little or no time for him. Nothing could be further from the truth. Brian Mulroney came from an era in Canadian politics that was far more civil in its nature compared to today's mass polarization to the right and left, with no room to build consensus or listen to or respect others' opinions on matters of public policy.
-
March 19, 2024
Ottawa appeals declaration of constitutional requirement for timely federal judicial appointments
“Stay in your lane” — those words might encapsulate the thrust of the federal government’s message to the Federal Court in Ottawa's appeal of a recent groundbreaking judgment, which declared that the prime minister and federal justice minister are constitutionally obliged to fix the lengthy federal judicial appointment delays that have for years bedeviled litigants, lawyers and judges.
-
March 18, 2024
Appeal and judicial review of a tribunal decision | Sara Blake
The Supreme Court of Canada has breathed life into an Ontario statutory provision that has been mostly ignored since it came into effect in 1972. Section 2(1) of the Judicial Review Procedure Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. J.1 (JRPA), authorizes the Divisional Court to grant relief on judicial review “despite any right of appeal.” For 40 years, Ontario courts consistently overlooked this provision, instead preferring to exercise their discretion to deny a remedy on judicial review because it regards a right of appeal to the court as an adequate alternative remedy.
-
March 18, 2024
B.C. goes ‘off-leash’ to adopt a pet custody model
Who gets to keep a beloved family pet when spouses decide to split? Does it matter which of them purchased the animal, or which of them took care of it more during the relationship?
-
March 15, 2024
Celebrating St. Patrick's Day responsibly: Navigating employee absences
Originally an Irish holiday, St. Patrick's Day is now a worldwide celebration. This Sunday, March 17, 2024, millions of people (including workers) will spend the day celebrating. Parades and festivities will pay homage to the patron saint of Ireland, who is also famous for his fondness for a drink.
-
March 15, 2024
ChatGPT foils counsel’s application, resulting in costs award and law society investigation
In Zhang v. Chen 2024 BCSC 285 Zhang was successful in defending her husband Chen’s application for an order that the parties’ children, who lived with her in West Vancouver, be permitted to travel to China to spend time with their father. The court ruled that Chen’s application be revisited once a s. 211 parenting report was completed and that in the meantime, parenting time in British Columbia be granted in accordance with Zhang’s proposal, and that video parenting time be afforded to Chen.
-
March 15, 2024
Princess Kate’s publicity, privacy and press: A balance hard to find
A mother of three, who is coping with health troubles in her early 40s, published a social card for celebrating Mother’s Day, choosing an edited picture. She wished a Happy Mother’s Day to mothers and mothers to be, but she chose to edit a few details for undisclosed reasons.
-
March 14, 2024
Report highlights ‘glacial progress’ for women in the workforce
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has released a new report titled Barely Breaking Ground: The Slow Stride of Progress for Women in Business Leadership and Entrepreneurship, finding that women still face glass ceilings in numerous sectors.