Natural Resources
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December 09, 2025
Are Canadian courts fit for purpose?
With the Cowichan Tribes v. Canada (Attorney General), 2025 BCSC 1490 decision, the British Columbia Supreme Court cast aside nearly a millennium of certainty regarding land ownership. It did this by severely limiting the rights inherent to fee simple title. It additionally declared invalid land titles under the province’s Torrens land registry system (undermining the provincial guaranty inherent in Torrens systems). Given the nature of the claim, namely ownership and development of land that occurred in the absence of a formal treaty, this decision has nationwide implications.
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December 08, 2025
Quebec’s young lawyers are suffering psychological distress, report reveals
More than 60 per cent of Quebec lawyers with fewer than 10 years of experience suffer from psychological distress, a comprehensive study reveals, painting a disconcerting portrait of young lawyers overwhelmed by stress and struggling with the pressures of billable hours and long workweeks.
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December 05, 2025
Judge certifies Lytton wildfire class action, urges simple application of ‘some basis in fact’ test
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has certified a class action over the 2021 Lytton wildfire and urged a return to the simple application of the “some basis in fact” standard during certification.
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December 04, 2025
CFIA cuts red tape, speeds up plant-pest control changes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has repealed a number of outdated requirements and updated the Plant Protection Regulations to make domestic plant-pest controls more flexible, moves the agency says will reduce red tape.
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December 03, 2025
How to interpret undefined common words in a statute
The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Lundin Mining Corp. v. Markowich, 2025 SCC 39 is not just about securities law.
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December 03, 2025
Success rate for injured applicants at Licence Appeal Tribunal continues to plummet
As a new associate chair with significant political connections is poised to take over, the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT) is facing criticism over the plummeting success rate for people injured in auto accidents who are appealing decisions by insurance companies — a success rate that has dropped precipitously to only eight per cent.
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December 01, 2025
Carney hands new jobs to three lawyer-MPs in federal cabinet mini-shuffle
Following last week’s resignation of Montreal MP Steven Guilbeault from the federal Liberal cabinet, Prime Minister Mark Carney added one new minister to his cabinet and expanded the roles of two others in order to redistribute Guilbeault’s former cabinet responsibilities.
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November 28, 2025
Ontario, Marten Falls First Nation sign Community Partnership Agreement to ‘unlock’ Ring of Fire
The Government of Ontario and Marten Falls First Nation have signed a Community Partnership Agreement that will “unlock economic prosperity and accelerate development of the all-season Marten Falls Community Access Road (MFCAR),” which will link to the Ring of Fire.
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November 28, 2025
Investors can sue companies if they do not immediately disclose material changes in operations: SCC
The Supreme Court has given the green light to a lawsuit against a mining company by one of its shareholders for failure to disclose information under Ontario’s Securities Act, saying companies have an obligation to make timely disclosure of material changes in their operations.
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November 28, 2025
Guilbeault resigns over federal–Alberta MoU enabling new bitumen pipeline
Federal languages minister and former environment minister Steven Guilbeault has resigned from the cabinet over his opposition to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the federal government and Alberta which paves the way for a new bitumen pipeline to the B.C. coast.