Criminal
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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
Federal inmates can use habeas corpus to challenge refusals to lower security rating: SCC
Canada’s high court has ruled that federal inmates can use the tool of habeas corpus — a claim of unlawful detention — to challenge in court a denial of their request to be transferred to a lower-security setting.
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November 21, 2025
Ontario man loses bid to reclaim $1.2M seized by police
An Ontario man has been rebuffed in his attempts to get back more than $1.2 million in cash seized as part of a criminal investigation that ultimately led to his acquittal.
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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
Federal Budget 2025: Impact on charities and not-for-profits
On Nov. 4, the federal government tabled the federal budget (Budget 2025), which includes several legislative proposals relevant to charities and not-for-profits (NFPs). Many of these proposals were contained in government releases throughout August 2024, December 2024, January 2025 and August 2025, though Budget 2025 did not explain any specifics of those proposals.
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November 21, 2025
EXTRAORDINARY REMEDIES - Habeas corpus - Habeas corpus with certiorari in aid
Appeal by appellants from a judgment of the Ontario Court of Appeal which upheld a judgment concluding that a refusal to reclassify an inmate to a lower-security institution did not constitute a deprivation of residual liberty.
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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 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
Saskatchewan proposes changes to animal protection legislation
Saskatchewan has introduced new animal protection legislation in a bid to better address suffering, set a code of conduct for animal welfare officers and further educate both the public and those in the livestock industry.