Immigration

  • July 02, 2026

    Faster criminal & child welfare cases, more family law settlements among reforms led by new SCC judge

    The Supreme Court of Canada’s newest judge says his key areas of legal expertise are constitutional and criminal law, including the rules of evidence and procedure, though he has also presided over many civil and administrative law cases in his generalist trial court. Glenn Joyal, a former federal and Manitoba prosecutor and the longtime chief justice of the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, was elevated by the prime minister to the top court on June 30, succeeding Supreme Court Justice Sheilah Martin of Alberta, the highly respected constitutional and criminal law litigator, academic and judge who retired from the bench May 30.

  • June 30, 2026

    Women now a majority in legal profession, but barriers to equality persist: international report

    The ranks of Canada’s bench and bar numbered slightly more women than men last year, yet many female jurists still reported gender-based and sexual harassment at work and don’t “feel seen as equals to their male colleagues,” according to a new report from the International Bar Association (IBA). The IBA’s investigation into the state of gender parity in Canada’s legal profession reported on June 30 that women make up 53 per cent of lawyers overall — with half of these working in senior positions as lawyers and partners, among the organizations surveyed.

  • June 29, 2026

    McInnes Cooper expands into Ontario through acquisition

    Atlantic Canada’s McInnes Cooper is expanding into Ontario with the acquisition of Toronto-based corporate immigration firm Kranc Associates, the firm says.

  • June 29, 2026

    U.S. birthright citizenship: The meaning of ‘and subject to the jurisdiction thereof’

    In July 1868, when the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment was adopted into the Constitution of the United States, it declared: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.” While initially incorporated into the Constitution to overturn the Scott v. Sandford, 1856 U.S. LEXIS 472 decision and guarantee citizenship to formerly enslaved individuals, the Citizenship Clause has since become the foundation of birthright citizenship in the United States.

  • June 26, 2026

    Federal Court notes ‘historic backlog’ in update to immigration case guidelines

    The Federal Court has announced that as of June 26, a special order will extend the deadline to file an applicant’s record from 45 to 90 days in immigration proceedings. The court said it was “required to take this additional step in light of increasing caseload, budget restrictions, and insufficient resources.”

  • June 26, 2026

    CBSA provides update on enforcement actions targeting extortion

    The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has provided an update on its work with partners to target individuals involved in organized crime with a focus on those linked to extortion-related activities, noting it removes 400 inadmissible individuals every week.

  • June 26, 2026

    Ontario revamps immigrant nominee program for labour needs

    Ontario is reforming a program that allows the province to nominate individuals for permanent residence in Canada to meet changing labour market demands and address workforce shortages.

  • June 26, 2026

    Community legal information project: Bringing access to justice to the streets

    Graham is in his 50s, he’s disabled and uses a wheelchair. A resident in a shelter for homeless people, Graham desperately needed legal information help. Our team of community justice helpers met with him many times, and we were able to answer to his questions. Now every morning, he and I greet each other as I head off to work.

  • June 26, 2026

    Coast Guard to expand Great Lakes surveillance with new Niagara centre, radar sites

    The federal government has announced plans for a 24/7 marine security operations centre in Niagara and up to 11 new radar sites across the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence as part of the Canadian Coast Guard’s expanded maritime security role.

  • June 26, 2026

    Decision a cautionary tale on joint ownership, vulnerable seniors, irrevocable gifts

    The recent decision in Ramotar v. Ramotar, 2026 ONSC 2153 by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice raises significant concerns regarding the protection of vulnerable seniors, the application of established legal principles and the risks associated with joint ownership as an estate planning tool.