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July 31, 2026
Artificial intelligence is reshaping economies, industries and the global competitive landscape at an unprecedented pace. Recognizing both the opportunities and the risks presented by this technological shift, the federal government launched Canada’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy: AI for All on June 4, 2026.
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July 30, 2026
In an administrative law landmark that addresses the scope of the Constitution’s guarantee of judicial review, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled 9-0 that legislatures cannot validly use privative clauses to bar “legality review” by courts — i.e., the availability of curial review is constitutionally guaranteed for all aspects of delegated administrative decisions, including on questions of law, fact or mixed law and fact.
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July 30, 2026
In 2009, a mother transfers $150,000 to her eldest son so he can close on his first house. Nothing is signed. She mentions to a neighbour that he will pay her back “when he is on his feet.” She tells the son it is “his share, early.” Meanwhile, her daughter gives up an apartment and a job in another city, moves into the family home and spends 11 years caring for her mother, on the strength of an assurance repeated over many Sunday dinners: the house will be yours. The mother dies in 2024. Her will divides the estate equally among her three children.
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July 29, 2026
Ontario’s top court has ruled that a woman’s interest in a family trust created during an estate freeze was not a gift from a third party after marriage, a finding that led to an $18-million equalization payment to her former husband.
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July 28, 2026
Choosing an executor is one of the most consequential decisions in estate planning. An executor is a fiduciary required to act honestly, impartially, and in the best interests of the estate over their own. Where an executor’s personal obligations, financial interests, or relationships conflict with these duties, these conflicts of interest can lead to family disputes, high legal costs, and can jeopardize proper estate administration.
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July 24, 2026
This is the scenario: John and Jane each purchase a real property in Ontario in 2003, to which they take title in their names alone. John purchases a residential property for $2,000,000 (“John’s property”) and Jane purchases a cottage property for $1,000,000 (“Jane’s property”). In 2006, John and Jane become common law spouses and go back and forth between living at their respective properties — typically John’s during the fall and winter months and Jane’s during the spring and summer months. John and Jane never enter into any domestic agreement. Both were previously married and have children from prior marriages, who are their primary beneficiaries and not each other.
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July 23, 2026
Is it time to acknowledge and address the gap in practical education, practical readiness and practical understanding for the public in family law matters?
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July 17, 2026
In the second part of this two-part series, we will be discussing what irregularities in a will can cause the entire will to be invalid and if a mistake in a will can be detrimental to its validity.
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July 16, 2026
Generative artificial intelligence is currently reshaping professional services, including the practice of law. For law firms that have not yet made the leap, incorporating AI into private practice may feel daunting. Challenges can include identifying where AI can deliver meaningful value, being willing to experiment with proven workflows and selecting the “right” AI platforms. Rather than approach AI adoption as a technology initiative, this article advocates for treating AI as a business improvement initiative by deliberately targeting specific inefficiencies and implementing AI incrementally to realize measurable benefits.
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July 10, 2026
Ontario’s top court has ruled that a section of the provincial Insurance Act that allows insurers to deny coverage due to changes in a person’s circumstances is not time-limited.
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July 10, 2026
Many federally appointed trial judges report stress from excessive workloads, limited control over their time in the workplace and too few support resources, according to a new national survey of judges’ physical and psychological health. On July 9, the Canadian Judicial Council (CJC) reported on extensive research commissioned from the Université de Sherbrooke between 2024 and 2026 by the council of 44 chief and associate chief justices.
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July 09, 2026
What happens when someone declared legally dead turns out to be very much alive? On April 10, 2026, the Supreme Court of Canada confronted precisely that question in Riddle v. ivari, 2026 SCC 9, issuing a unanimous ruling on the annulment of a declaratory judgment of death with significant implications for Quebec civil procedure and life insurance litigation.
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July 08, 2026
Mediation doesn’t always end with a handshake. After 39 years of handling commercial and employment disputes, I can tell you that a failed mediation is not necessarily a failure of the process; often, it is useful information. It tells you something about where the parties actually stand, and it forces a decision that matters as much as anything that came before it: arbitration or litigation?
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July 08, 2026
Prince Edward Island is bringing internet access to those who lack it with portable hotspot devices available through the library — and there is “no reason” they could not be used for virtual court appearances, says a government spokesperson.
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July 06, 2026
Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed new leaders to head two of Canada’s major trial courts. On July 6, Justice Alan Diner was appointed chief justice of the Federal Court, the national superior trial court that decides disputes in the federal domain. He succeeds Paul Crampton, who retired from the post Oct. 31, 2025.
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July 06, 2026
Larry, a seasoned corporate lawyer, checks the emails on his phone first thing in the morning. In his inbox, he sees an email from Aaron, a client he’s done some work for every year. Aaron’s email attaches a service contract, clearly drafted by artificial intelligence, with the subject header: “Can you review it quickly before we send it off?” Larry marks the email as unread and checks the next one.
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July 02, 2026
The Supreme Court of Canada’s newest judge says his key areas of legal expertise are constitutional and criminal law, including the rules of evidence and procedure, though he has also presided over many civil and administrative law cases in his generalist trial court. Glenn Joyal, a former federal and Manitoba prosecutor and the longtime chief justice of the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, was elevated by the prime minister to the top court on June 30, succeeding Supreme Court Justice Sheilah Martin of Alberta, the highly respected constitutional and criminal law litigator, academic and judge who retired from the bench May 30.
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June 30, 2026
If you intend to make, or have already made, charitable gifts in your will, there is an interesting aspect of charitable giving that you may not have considered. What happens if the charity you named no longer exists, cannot receive the gift, or circumstances have changed such that your gift cannot be carried out as intended? In certain circumstances, the cy-près doctrine may preserve the gift and ensure that your charitable intentions are honoured.
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June 29, 2026
Appeal by appellant from an order pronouncing a 2016 will in solemn form. The deceased, Joseph Bernard Szikora, left his estate to his children and former spouse, the respondents, and made no provision for the appellant, his spouse since 1994, consistent with a prenuptial agreement. The respondents petitioned for proof of the will in solemn form.
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June 26, 2026
The recent decision in Ramotar v. Ramotar, 2026 ONSC 2153 by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice raises significant concerns regarding the protection of vulnerable seniors, the application of established legal principles and the risks associated with joint ownership as an estate planning tool.
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June 25, 2026
The British Columbia Court of Appeal’s decision in Golden Spigot Pub Ltd. v. Eddy Ng Management Services Ltd., 2026 BCCA 231, strengthens liquidation as a practical remedy in disputes involving closely held corporations that function like partnerships.
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June 25, 2026
Earlier this year, the Divisional Court of Ontario found that procedures adopted by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) to determine its jurisdiction were unreasonable and contrary to law.
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June 24, 2026
McDougall Gauley LLP has added Joy M. Brailean, Shaan Kapila, Jenna L. Sabine and Tenielle A. Workman as lawyers following their articling with the firm, the Saskatchewan firm says. All were called to the bar in May and June 2026.
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June 23, 2026
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has publicly weighed in on a Supreme Court of Canada nomination, stating they “wholeheartedly endorse” Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal’s candidacy and are “confident he will bring fairness, wisdom and humility to Canada’s highest court.”
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June 22, 2026
Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal, widely reputed in recent years to be a leading candidate for appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada, has been nominated to fill the western vacancy that opened up with the May 30 retirement of Supreme Court of Canada Justice Sheilah Martin, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on June 22.