Pulse
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May 28, 2025
Pitfalls in tribunal adjudication of mental health matters: Issues identified by reviewing courts
This past month, two different reviewing courts have provided very similar guidance to two different mental health tribunals in Ontario. On April 24, 2025, the Court of Appeal for Ontario found that Ernest Clayton’s fitness review hearing before the Ontario Review Board constituted a miscarriage of justice and must be reconsidered afresh. Similarly, on May 21, 2025, the Superior Court of Justice returned a review of Arlene Hastick’s Community Treatment Order to the Consent and Capacity Board for re-hearing on the basis that she was denied procedural fairness.
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May 28, 2025
What ‘agreed statement of facts’ really means
The “facts” aren’t always so obvious. More than 90 per cent of criminal convictions in Canada are not the result of a trial, but of a guilty plea. People plead guilty for many reasons, only one of which is that they are actually guilty. But that’s another matter.
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May 27, 2025
Throne speech states Carney government’s ‘core mission is to build the strongest economy in the G7’
Delivering Canada’s speech from the throne for the first time, King Charles III outlined the Carney Liberal government’s plans to make Canada’s economy the most robust in the G7, including by driving the country’s emergence as an energy superpower and by removing internal trade barriers and other roadblocks to creating big national projects and large-scale affordable housing.
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May 27, 2025
Ontario court approves $500M class action settlement with Loblaw over bread price-fixing
The Ontario Superior Court has approved a historic $500-million negotiated settlement in a class action targeting grocery store giant Loblaw Companies Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. over their admitted role in an industry-wide scheme to fix the price of bread that stretched from 2001 to 2015.
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May 27, 2025
Civil court delay reduction and prejudgment interest
In fall 2023, Attorney General Doug Downey created the civil rules review (CRR) with a mandate to identify issues and develop proposals for reforming the Rules of Civil Procedure. The CRR’s Phase 1 Consultation Paper asked: What reforms might improve efficiency and reduce delays and costs?
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May 27, 2025
Helpful or hurtful? The dark side of social media sleuthing
Social media keeps us connected and fosters friendship and community. During the pandemic, in those long dark months after the world shut down, it became a crucial source of connectivity for many. In the years since, social media has become increasingly divisive, crude and untrustworthy. In a world of AI, fake news, deep fakes and strong political opinions, it has brought out some of the worst in people.
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May 26, 2025
Lawson Lundell adds two associates to estate and wealth advisory group
Lawson Lundell LLP has announced the addition of Alexander M. Lee and Max S.J. Shilleto as associates in its estate and wealth advisory group.
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May 27, 2025
Justine Pileggi joins Pulver Crawford Munroe as associate
Pulver Crawford Munroe LLP has welcomed Justine Pileggi as an associate.
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May 27, 2025
How to build happier, healthier teams and keep burnout away
It’s official. Canadian workers are exhausted. A recent survey found that one in every four employees in Canada feels burnt-out at work. The professionals surveyed said they felt fatigued, less motivated and less productive.
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May 26, 2025
Supreme Court of Canada welcomes new ELO Byma as Bachand assumes GC post at federal judicial council
Daniel Byma, a commercial litigator at Fasken who is also an avid hiker and elite Ultimate Frisbee player and coach, has succeeded Stéphanie Bachand as the Supreme Court of Canada’s executive legal officer (ELO), with Bachand moving on to the roles of director and general counsel of the Canadian Judicial Council (CJC) after serving almost three years as the principal adviser to the chief justice of Canada.