Access to Justice
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June 09, 2025
Law Foundation of Ontario appoints new trustee, elects new chair
The Law Foundation of Ontario has announced the appointment of Shalini Konanur to its board of trustees.
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June 09, 2025
Lack of consensus in Bouvette acquittal leaves questions unanswered
When a serious yet inaccurate allegation of criminal wrongdoing is made against someone, permanently halting criminal proceedings without a determination of guilt or innocence is insufficient. What is truly needed is a declaration of being found not guilty.
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June 06, 2025
N.L. turning to public for input on revamping child protection laws
The government of Newfoundland and Labrador is turning to the public for input on revamping child protection laws.
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June 06, 2025
Increased support for Black Nova Scotians seeking land title a good move, but more needed: scholar
A legal mind is praising Nova Scotia’s expansion of support for those in “historic” African Nova Scotian communities seeking title to their land — but is calling for the same support to be given to “all African Nova Scotians in all African Nova Scotian communities.”
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June 06, 2025
There are better ways to protect Canada’s asylum system than Bill C-2
Bill C-2, which was tabled in Parliament on June 3, makes significant changes to the Refugee Determination System. According to a press release, “The two proposed ineligibility measures in the bill would protect the asylum system against sudden increases in claims.” The government is already faced with a huge backlog of claims that are awaiting a hearing before the RPD and, as a result, is pushing forward with these changes due to concerns that hundreds of thousands of new claims will flood the system.
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June 06, 2025
Ontario’s civil justice revolution: Will fixed timelines finally deliver faster, fairer results?
If you’ve ever wondered why civil lawsuits in Ontario can drag on for years, you’re not alone. Whether you’re a fellow personal injury lawyer, an accident victim or just someone following the news, Ontario’s proposed overhaul of its civil court rules is about to shake things up for everyone seeking justice.
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June 05, 2025
B.C. court certifies class action over COVID-19 prisoner isolation policies
The B.C. Supreme Court has certified a class action alleging the federal government was negligent and violated the Charter rights of certain prisoners by confining them in medical isolation during COVID-19 outbreaks and depriving them of human interaction for extended periods of time.
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June 05, 2025
Viewing estate and related family disputes through a different lens
As Canada becomes a more aged society, the number of estate and related family disputes continues to grow. As this growth happens, we need to review how we approach estate dispute resolution to ensure we can keep pace with the evolving expectations of families, the changes in our society and the advancements in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in general.
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June 05, 2025
Were health, safety concerns overlooked in sentencing?
Michael Allen Wiens was sentenced by a judge of the Provincial Court of British Columbia on May 29, 2024, to three years’ imprisonment for sexually assaulting a female while the victim was unconscious in her home. The judge in Surrey, B.C., also ordered Wiens to register under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act (SOIRA) for 20 years.
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June 04, 2025
Court decision points to continuing problems with Ontario’s tribunal system, says watchdog group
A recent Ontario Superior Court ruling helps illustrate the continuing struggles being faced by the province’s tribunal system, and the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) in particular, says a watchdog group.
Access to justice: The language of the litigant counts | Ruphine Djuissi
Access to justice in French is a critical issue for Francophones across Canada, particularly with respect to the availability of legal services in French, the quality of interpretation and translation, and equal language rights. It also includes access to French-speaking lawyers and court documents written in French. It is important to ensure that Francophones have access to legal services in their mother tongue or first official language.
Ontario committed to expanding Unified Family Courts but Toronto still lacking
Ontario’s government is vowing to continue working towards the expansion of Unified Family Courts across the province. But a local lawyer says that until a UFC is placed in the Toronto area, millions are being left to navigate a confusing, “two-tiered” family court system.