In-House Counsel
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May 16, 2025
Red tape reduction in Canadian hemp landscape
On March 12, 2025, the Regulations amending certain regulations concerning cannabis (streamlining of requirements) and the Order Amending Schedule 2 to the Cannabis Act (collectively, the Amendments) came into force, which had the effect of amending the Industrial Hemp Regulations (IHR) to allow for more permissive activities with hemp seed derivative products and certain other plant materials. Updated to the Canadian hemp legislative regime are relatively rare and these Amendments have been generally welcomed by industry.
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May 15, 2025
Ottawa welcomes ‘historic’ international ruling that Russia shot down Malaysian civilian airliner
As Canada pursues a separate case against Iran at the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) — for the illegal downing of a Ukrainian civilian airliner in 2020 — Ottawa said it “welcomes” the ICAO’s recent determination that the Russian Federation shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014, in breach of Russia’s obligations under international law.
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May 15, 2025
Alberta severance award for COVID vaccine non-compliance may be a first, lawyer says
An Alberta judge has awarded a former WestJet employee just over $65,000 for wrongful dismissal in a decision that one lawyer involved says breaks new ground in Canadian jurisprudence.
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May 15, 2025
Federal Court upholds Alexion patent, blocks Amgen biosimilar launch until 2027
The Federal Court has upheld the validity of a patent held by Alexion Pharmaceuticals on a drug for the treatment of a rare blood disorder and granted an injunction blocking Amgen Canada from launching a competing product until 2027.
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May 14, 2025
New federal Cabinet ministers talk tax cuts, lowering trade barriers, work-life balance and Gaza
Newly minted federal Cabinet ministers spoke for the first time about their portfolios with Hill media on May 14, as Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed that the Liberals’ promised “middle-class” tax cut will be in place by July 1, 2025, and Finance and National Revenue Minister François-Philippe Champagne disclosed that the minority Liberal government has no plans for a federal budget this year — but intends to deliver an economic statement on an unspecified date in fall 2025.
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May 14, 2025
Alberta court upholds privacy commissioner’s order effectively banning Clearview AI
U.S.-based facial recognition technology giant Clearview AI has been dealt another legal setback in Canada with an Alberta court decision upholding an effective ban on the company’s activities in the province.
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May 14, 2025
B.C. court issues arrest warrant, rejects blogger’s anti-SLAPP bid in defamation case
The B.C. Supreme Court has issued an arrest warrant for a blogger who allegedly published a number of defamatory statements claiming that a family-owned Okanagan business and its associates were involved in human trafficking, terror financing and organized crime.
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May 14, 2025
Cause for discipline, but not just cause for dismissal
“Just cause is not a lost cause … but the threshold is high.” That is something I often say, be it in my book on summary dismissal, when speaking with clients or when I am acting as a mediator. There are many cases every year in which summary dismissal is upheld; contrary to what some think, it’s not impossible to fire someone in Canada.
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May 14, 2025
Termination of employee following return from medical leave not discriminatory
In a recent Alberta Human Rights Commission case, Amies v. Lethbridge Family Services, 2025 AHRC 19, the complainant alleged that her termination on the day she returned from medical leave was discriminatory and in contravention of the Alberta Human Rights Act.
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May 13, 2025
Federal Court: Competition Bureau may seek s. 11 examinations as part of Rogers investigation
The Federal Court has dismissed a motion to set aside an order compelling two individuals to be examined by the Competition Bureau in relation to an investigation into the marketing of Rogers Communications’ infinite mobile data plans.