Pulse
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November 21, 2025
Federal judges say they’ll take Ottawa to court over rejection of independent pay commission’s recommendations
The association representing Canada’s federally appointed judges decided this week to seek judicial review of Ottawa’s rejection of an independent judicial pay commission’s two key recommendations — including the commission’s advice that a $28,000 salary boost (on top of mandatory annual indexing) is necessary to keep attracting outstanding lawyers to the bench.
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November 21, 2025
Supreme Court decision fundamentally changes how courts treat internal prison decisions
Lawyers practising prison law have a new and very powerful arrow added to their quiver.
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November 21, 2025
Miller Thomson names 2 new leaders to business services team
Miller Thomson has appointed John Esvelt as chief technology officer and Jessica Watkins as chief administrative officer.
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November 21, 2025
Kitties in court: Like herding cats
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was a time to growl, it was a time to purr. It was a time to bark, it was a time to hiss. No, this story is not about the Toronto Blue Jays. Let’s start with Istanbul, Turkey.
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November 21, 2025
Ontario’s impaired-driving restitution proposal: Legal and policy challenges ahead
As reported by Law360 Canada, the Ontario government is exploring a new measure that would require impaired drivers who kill a parent or guardian in a motor vehicle accident to make ongoing financial support payments to the victim’s surviving children. The idea mirrors Bentley’s Law in Texas, enacted in 2023, which mandates long-term restitution — essentially child support — whenever an impaired driver is convicted of what Texas law refers to as “intoxication manslaughter” (the Canadian analogue most closely maps to “Impaired Operation Causing Death” under s. 320.14(3) of the Criminal Code).
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November 21, 2025
Artificial vs. authentic intelligence
When I first saw the term “AI” in the news, I thought it was a barbecue sauce.
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November 21, 2025
The legal inevitability of the ostrich cull
However one feels about the recent cull of ostriches on a British Columbia farm, the result of the legal challenge to the cull order was inevitable because the wisdom of government policy may not be challenged on judicial review: Universal Ostrich Farms Inc. v. Canada (Food Inspection Agency), 2025 FCA 147, leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada refused Nov. 6, 2025.
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November 20, 2025
Two P.E.I. lawyers appointed King’s Counsel
R. Brendan Hubley, of Campbell Lea Barristers and Solicitors, and Ryan P. MacDonald, of Key Murray Law, can now add “KC” after their names, as they are this year’s recipients of the legal profession’s highest honour, according to a press release.
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November 20, 2025
Canadian law firms integrate with DWF
Whitelaw Twining, a litigation law firm and Barnescraig & Associates, an insurance claims management and adjusting business, have united with DWF, a global legal and business services firm.
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November 20, 2025
Ontario Superior Court issues AI guidelines for civil, family cases
The Ontario Superior Court has published new artificial intelligence (AI) practice directions for both civil and family law proceedings.