Natural Resources
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April 26, 2024
Highlights of the Legislative Review of the Cannabis Act: Final Report
Released in March 2024, the Legislative Review of the Cannabis Act: Final Report of the Expert Panel is the culmination of work by the independent expert panel appointed by the federal government to conduct a legislative review of the Cannabis Act. The report is a key indicator of the future of the Canadian cannabis regime and how the Act may be amended. In total, the panel made 54 recommendations to federal policymakers and 11 observations for provincial and territorial policymakers and health-care bodies.
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April 26, 2024
Interpretation and application of British Columbia's Partition of Property Act
In British Columbia, disputes with respect to co-owned property are often resolved under the Partition of Property Act (PPA), which governs how and when a co-owner of a property may be granted permission for partition or sale of the property against the wishes of the other co-owner(s). Such disputes may arise in various circumstances, such as family law, wherein spouses who co-own property have different ideas about how such property should be utilized post-separation or divorce. These issues are also seen in cases involving multi-generational property ownership and estate law, wherein various parties may be assigned co-ownership under the terms of a will and disagree on the use of such property.
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April 25, 2024
SCC to hear appeals on Charter mobility rights and mandatory minimum penalties for child pornography
The Supreme Court of Canada will hear an appeal of a novel Charter s. 6 mobility rights ruling, which held that Newfoundland and Labrador did not violate the constitution when the province closed its borders for health reasons to non-essential visits by non-residents early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
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April 24, 2024
Trade tribunal to hold inquiry into alleged dumping of pea protein by China
The Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) has launched an inquiry into a complaint that China is dumping pea protein on the Canadian market.
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April 24, 2024
Barriers to a legally binding, global treaty on plastic pollution are mounting, say lawyers
Achieving a global, legally binding treaty to draw down pervasive plastic pollution is becoming increasingly difficult as successive and more “bloated” drafts of the agreement are negotiated, says a lawyer with Ecojustice Canada.
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April 24, 2024
P.E.I. holding public meetings on forestry issues
Prince Edward Island is looking for residents’ input on the revamping of the province’s forestry laws. According to an April 22 news release, the P.E.I. Forestry Commission will be holding public meetings on changes to its forestry legislation — an initiative born out of findings in a recent discussion paper, titled Towards a New Forest Policy.
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April 23, 2024
N.S. gets new justice minister amid comments controversy
Nova Scotia has a new justice minister following the sudden resignation of Brad Johns, who stepped down after making controversial comments about domestic violence.
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April 23, 2024
Proposed takeover could harm grain-purchasing and canola oil markets: Competition Bureau
The proposed acquisition of leading Canadian grain handling business Viterra Limited by the Canadian arm of international agribusiness and food giant Bunge Global SA would have substantial anti-competitive effects, including a significant loss of rivalry between the companies in the agricultural markets they operate in, the Competition Bureau has determined. .
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April 23, 2024
Feds appoint Industrial Inquiry Commission on West Coast ports’ long-shoring disputes
Federal Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan Jr. has announced the appointment of an Industrial Inquiry Commission regarding the underlying issues present in long-shoring labour disputes at the ports on the West Coast.
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April 23, 2024
When your letter of credit is ‘on demand’
Other than cash, a standby letter of credit (LoC) is generally considered the most liquid form of performance security. Accordingly, one would assume that where a party who delivered an LoC has breached the applicable contract, drawing down on the LoC should be as simple as the other counterparty walking down to the bank and asking for the cash, right? It might not be so simple anymore. This issue was addressed in Pacific Atlantic Pipeline Construction v. Coastal Gaslink Pipeline Ltd., 2023 ABKB 736.