Insurance
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February 12, 2026
‘Distemper of our times’ calls for judges to balance restraint with principled ‘bold action’: CJ Joyal
“Bold” but “properly calibrated” judicial action, rather than reflexive judicial reticence and reserve, is sometimes necessary to preserve public confidence in the justice system — a confidence on which the foundational principle of judicial independence depends, says Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal.
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February 12, 2026
Ontario Court of Appeal calling for papers to honour late Justice Bertha Wilson
The Ontario Court of Appeal is calling for papers to mark the 50th anniversary of the late Bertha Wilson’s appointment to the court as part of a symposium honouring the woman who went on to become Canada’s first female Supreme Court justice.
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February 11, 2026
The new accountability: Why process is becoming a professional requirement in negotiation
For decades, negotiation remained the “black box” of legal work. While research became transparent and file management became auditable, negotiation stayed insulated behind “instinct” and “professional judgment.” Those things mattered — and still do — but they were hard to explain, document and audit. That insulation used to be acceptable.
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February 10, 2026
McLennan Ross welcomes Cody Van de Veen
Cody Van de Veen has joined McLennan Ross at its Edmonton office, where he practises insurance defence and commercial litigation, according to the firm.
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February 10, 2026
Federal listing of plastic manufactured items as ‘toxic’ may soon land on top court’s steps
The Federal Court of Appeal’s recent judgment that Ottawa reasonably added plastic manufactured items to the federal list of “toxic” substances in Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), enabling the regulation of single-use plastics under s. 93 of the Act, may soon head to the Supreme Court of Canada.
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February 04, 2026
Alberta seeking greater role in judicial appointments, threatens to withhold funding for judges
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is asking the federal government for a greater say in judicial appointments and has threatened to withdraw funding to support any new judicial appointments in the province unless a more collaborative process is set up. In an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Smith also said Ottawa needs to relax bilingualism requirements for judicial appointments “that do not reflect Canada’s broader linguistic diversity in Western Canada and alienates Albertans and western Canadians alike.”
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February 04, 2026
McKercher names Perrault and Wilson as partners
McKercher LLP has welcomed Toni A. Perrault and Cole J.N. Wilson to its partnership in the firm’s Saskatoon office.
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February 03, 2026
Labour board’s view that worker’s comments weren’t ‘sexual harassment’ was unreasonable: FCA
The Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that a longtime WestJet employee’s persistent unwelcome comments, which had sexual undertones, were “sexual harassment” that could possibly justify his termination, notwithstanding that the labour board below made findings that none of his intrusive comments to his female coworkers were “sexual in nature or intent” and that no one interpreted his comments in a sexual manner.
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February 02, 2026
Top 10 business decisions of 2025, part two
Here is part two of my annual list of the top 10 business decisions in Canada for the year just ended. This two-part series began with the cases ranked sixth through tenth. Part two herein covers the top five cases, in ascending order.
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January 30, 2026
SCC gives guidance on interpreting insurance contracts, interplay of endorsements & exclusions
Elaborating on how to interpret insurance contracts, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed 7-2 the appeal of two homeowners who sought to compel their insurer to fully pay for rebuilding their flood-destroyed house, despite an exclusion for “compliance costs” and the ancillary exception that caps the compliance costs payout at $10,000 “for the increased cost of demolition, construction, or repair to comply with any law regulating the zoning, demolition, repair or construction of any insured buildings.”