Civil Litigation
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February 20, 2026
B.C. seeks public input on regulated paralegal roles
The British Columbia government is asking for public feedback on what kinds of legal work regulated paralegals should be allowed to do. The Legal Professions Act, which became law in 2024, created a new category of legal service provider — regulated paralegals — who differ from those currently known in the province as paralegals, who work under the supervision of a lawyer and are not allowed to provide legal advice.
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February 20, 2026
Visual law: Using tables, diagrams and pictures in legal work
What if the next presentation you attend is only voice without visuals? If an airplane safety card had only text with no pictures? If a furniture assembly guide was not drawn but written? If the television disappears and only books are left?
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February 20, 2026
CIVIL PROCEDURE - Pleadings - Amendment of - Striking out pleadings or allegations
Appeal by appellants from an order striking their claim against the Attorney General of Canada for failure to disclose a reasonable cause of action. The claim arose after Sienna was fatally shot by neighbour Duckett, who held a firearms licence.
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February 19, 2026
When conduct drives costs: Bad faith, unreasonableness and a $220,000 award
The Superior Court’s decision in G.P.R. v. A.K., 2026 ONSC 409 is a pointed reminder of how litigation conduct, both at trial and in the post-trial period, can dramatically shape a costs outcome.
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February 19, 2026
Court denies additional evidence in proposed ArriveCan class action
The Federal Court has dismissed a motion to file a supplemental affidavit ahead of the certification hearing for a proposed class action regarding the ArriveCan app.
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February 19, 2026
Non-party to mortgage contract has claim against lender and lawyer struck
The Rules of Civil Procedure contain powerful rules for the pretrial disposition of actions. One of those rules is rule 21, which, among other things, permits a defendant to strike out an action on the grounds that it discloses no reasonable cause of action or on the grounds that it is frivolous, vexatious or an abuse of process. For malpractice lawyers who defend claims against lawyers, rule 21 is often relied upon to seek the early dismissal of an action in circumstances where the plaintiff and the defendant lawyer were not in a solicitor-and-client relationship.
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February 18, 2026
Federal Court strikes elevator monitoring patent claim over pleading defects
The Federal Court has struck a patent infringement suit over elevator and escalator monitoring technology, ruling that the plaintiff failed to plead the material facts necessary to show which products allegedly infringed which of the patent’s claims.
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February 18, 2026
Court upholds CBC’s right to redact ad spend data
The Federal Court has dismissed a judicial review application relating to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)’s redaction of certain information in its advertising expenditures after an access-to-information request.
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February 18, 2026
B.C. court halts CRA charity revocation pending constitutional challenge
The British Columbia Supreme Court has granted interim relief to a registered charity facing revocation of its status under the Income Tax Act, holding that the court has jurisdiction to restrain publication of a revocation notice where a constitutional challenge is contemplated.
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February 18, 2026
Saskatchewan court rules on tax exemptions for property with schools, religious spaces
Saskatchewan’s high court has shown that religious groups or schools wanting tax exemptions on property must not only occupy and operate it but also be using it for its intended purposes, says a lawyer.