Pulse
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February 03, 2026
Counsel conduct leads to mistrial in Nova Scotia
In many instances, the claim on appeal is that the accused received ineffective assistance of counsel. A claim of ineffective assistance can result in a new trial if it is shown that counsel’s acts or omissions fell below the standard of reasonable professional assistance and resulted in an unfair trial or a miscarriage of justice. It is rare for a trial in a provincial court to be adjourned because an accused person makes a claim for ineffective assistance of counsel midway through the trial. Yet such was the case in R. v. MacQuarrie, 2026 NSPC 5.
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February 03, 2026
Carney names Bill Blair and Nathalie Drouin to senior diplomatic posts
Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced two diplomatic appointments effective this spring, naming the Honourable Bill Blair as Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom and Nathalie G. Drouin as ambassador to France and Monaco.
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February 03, 2026
Emotions in the legal workplace: There’s no crying in baseball
When I was articling, I was given a very difficult assignment. I was responsible for researching an obscure argument being advanced in a Supreme Court of Canada case that was grounded in a very old and likely inapplicable legal principle. The litigation team was very skeptical about it, and they asked me to provide a summary of the argument to see if it should be put forward or dropped. I spent an enormous amount of time on the research because I wanted to be sure I gave the potential argument a fair shake.
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February 02, 2026
Law Firm Owner Success Guide: Avoid costly mistakes — Why generic programs kill law firm growth
In the highly competitive legal services landscape, law firms must continually seek innovative strategies and tools to drive growth and efficiency. However, many firms fall into the trap of adopting generic programs and solutions that fail to align with their unique needs and objectives.
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February 02, 2026
Decision in much delayed drug trial proves Jordan must be applied flexibly
The Supreme Court of Canada has set a presumptive ceiling for delay at 18 months for cases tried in provincial court (R. v. Jordan, 2016 SCC 27). When an accused’s right to a speedy trial under s. 11(b) of the Charter is violated, charges should be stayed under s. 24(1) of the Charter.
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February 02, 2026
Access to Justice Week B.C. speaks to importance of system that evolves, listens and learns, AG says
British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma is marking Access to Justice Week by reaffirming the province’s commitment to building a justice system that is “responsive, inclusive and accessible.”
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February 02, 2026
Court of Quebec appoints new judge and justice of the peace magistrate
Quebec Minister of Justice Simon Jolin-Barrette has announced the appointment of a judge and a justice of the peace magistrate to the Court of Quebec.
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February 02, 2026
Ontario appoints 4 new judges to Court of Justice
Ontario has appointed four new judges to the Ontario Court of Justice, effective Jan. 29: Justice Joanne Michelle Marie Clouston, Justice Archana Arun Medhekar, Justice Jesse M. Razaqpur and Justice Mary Meta Elizabeth Warren.
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February 02, 2026
The recent incident at the courthouse in Oshawa
Have you seen the documentary on Netflix called Skyscraper Live? It documents an unbelievable solo climb up a 100-storey building in Taiwan. The climber had no rope, no parachute and no safety harness. Any slip on his part, any grip not secure, and he falls to his death. Writing this article, I feel like that climber, only I am about to fall off the building … but … here goes.
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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.”