Natural Resources
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March 25, 2026
Dentons welcomes Kristyn Annis as partner
Dentons has added Kristyn Annis as a partner in its Toronto office, joining the corporate and energy groups.
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March 24, 2026
SCC judges probe what Charter s. 33 ‘override’ may mean for survival of Charter judicial review
The argument that a legislature’s use of the Charter’s s. 33 “override” clause can temporarily prevent judges from striking down a law but not from reviewing the law’s constitutionality or stating that the law infringes Charter rights and freedoms sparked a lively exchange between counsel and the bench as the Supreme Court of Canada kicked off its inquiry into the constitutionality of Quebec’s controversial “secularism” (Bill 21) law.
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March 24, 2026
When does an email settlement become binding? Lessons from JH Drilling in Alberta
Settlement negotiations increasingly happen by email, often before a formal agreement is signed. In JH Drilling Inc. v. Barsi Enterprises Ltd., 2026 ABKB 48 (JH Drilling). The Alberta Court of King’s Bench confirmed that an email correspondence may constitute a contract binding upon the parties. As a binding contract, the parties’ settlement agreement may preclude further litigation.
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March 24, 2026
Midnight in the garden of good and evil logic
AI now pervades civilization and the legal system. As AI becomes our “partner in understanding” we must interrogate what these systems might be thinking — or valuing. We sometimes want something from them and get something completely unintended. We ask AI to produce as many paperclips as possible and in order to secure the materials and power it decides to destroy humanity. Computer scientists, perhaps underwhelming, call this the alignment problem.
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March 23, 2026
Seismic Bill 21 case draws record counsel & intervener presence at this week’s four-day SCC hearing
This week’s blockbuster Bill 21 appeal at the Supreme Court involves 140 counsel of record — with 64 of them slated to make oral argument over four days on behalf of the 10 main party groups and the record 51 interveners.
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March 19, 2026
Court dismisses appeal of breached property sale for environmental contamination
The British Columbia Court of Appeal has dismissed a real estate appeal involving a purchase agreement dispute, upholding an order of more than $2 million against the appellant for breach of contract despite her claim that the property was environmentally contaminated.
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March 18, 2026
The mask of professionalism: Stress of maintaining the ‘good lawyer’ image
In the first part of this two-part series (see link below), I wrote that in addition to actual legal work, most lawyers are also expected to act, speak and dress in certain ways. This added layer of effort can feel like a performance. It requires constantly monitoring yourself to maintain the image of a “good lawyer,” and it is exhausting. Here, I turn to what can be done to reduce the stress associated with all this extra labour.
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March 18, 2026
Mark Johnson joins McCarthy Tétrault’s business law group
Energy, infrastructure and construction lawyer Mark Johnson has joined McCarthy Tétrault as a partner in its business law group in Toronto.
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March 17, 2026
SCC heard more cases in 2025 but still fewer than pre-pandemic; number expected to rise in 2026
The Supreme Court of Canada heard more appeals last year than in 2024 and delivered its reserved judgments more quickly, but its hearings and output in 2025 were not yet up to pre-pandemic levels, according to the top court, which states it “expects to hear even more cases in 2026.”
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March 16, 2026
Canada, Nordic countries deepen ties for Arctic security, defence
Canada is deepening its cooperation with Nordic countries in the areas of defence, Arctic security and critical minerals following Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Norway this week.