Insurance
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March 25, 2026
Ottawa & provinces roll out disparate views on the ‘notwithstanding’ clause at Supreme Court
Before the Supreme Court of Canada reserved its impending historic decision on March 26, the top court heard starkly different interpretations this week about the nature and operation of the Charter’s s. 33 “notwithstanding” clause.
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March 26, 2026
Ottawa introduces bill targeting foreign interference, deepfakes and long ballots
The Liberal government has introduced legislation aimed at protecting federal elections from foreign interference, cracking down on “long ballot” protest tactics and curbing election-related misinformation, according to a March 26 release.
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March 26, 2026
History of museum’s collection frames looted art claim
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) was founded in 1870 by a group of prominent New Yorkers including businessmen, financiers, artists and philanthropists. Their objective was to bring fine art and art education to the American public, having been inspired by Europe’s great museums, with initial acquisitions being comprised of European Old Master paintings.
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March 24, 2026
SCC judges probe what Charter s. 33 ‘override’ may mean for survival of Charter judicial review
The argument that a legislature’s use of the Charter’s s. 33 “override” clause can temporarily prevent judges from striking down a law but not from reviewing the law’s constitutionality or stating that the law infringes Charter rights and freedoms sparked a lively exchange between counsel and the bench as the Supreme Court of Canada kicked off its inquiry into the constitutionality of Quebec’s controversial “secularism” (Bill 21) law.
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March 24, 2026
Generative AI not immune from potential legal action
The use of AI chatbots by self-represented litigants and lawyers has raised alarms in the justice system because the chatbots are prone either to hallucinate cases or to cite a legitimate case for a proposition which simply cannot be found in that case. With respect to lawyers, in general, the courts have awarded personal costs sanctions against them and are beginning to refer them for potential disciplinary penalties. A lawyer has a duty to not mislead a court.
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March 23, 2026
Seismic Bill 21 case draws record counsel & intervener presence at this week’s four-day SCC hearing
This week’s blockbuster Bill 21 appeal at the Supreme Court involves 140 counsel of record — with 64 of them slated to make oral argument over four days on behalf of the 10 main party groups and the record 51 interveners.
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March 23, 2026
Bill C-265 aims to streamline Canada’s Special Access Program
The Special Access Program (SAP) provides a regulatory mechanism under the Food and Drug Regulations, Part C, Division 8, sections C.08.010 and C.08.011, and the Food and Drugs Act, allowing practitioners to request access to drugs not authorized for sale in Canada.
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March 18, 2026
The mask of professionalism: Stress of maintaining the ‘good lawyer’ image
In the first part of this two-part series (see link below), I wrote that in addition to actual legal work, most lawyers are also expected to act, speak and dress in certain ways. This added layer of effort can feel like a performance. It requires constantly monitoring yourself to maintain the image of a “good lawyer,” and it is exhausting. Here, I turn to what can be done to reduce the stress associated with all this extra labour.
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March 17, 2026
Court removes counsel over dual role in subrogated and coverage claims
The Alberta Court of King’s Bench has removed a lawyer as counsel in subrogated actions brought in the name of an insured, finding that despite the absence of a solicitor-client relationship, his concurrent representation of the insurer against the insured created a substantial risk of impaired representation.
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March 17, 2026
SCC heard more cases in 2025 but still fewer than pre-pandemic; number expected to rise in 2026
The Supreme Court of Canada heard more appeals last year than in 2024 and delivered its reserved judgments more quickly, but its hearings and output in 2025 were not yet up to pre-pandemic levels, according to the top court, which states it “expects to hear even more cases in 2026.”