The Complete Brief
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July 17, 2025
Teen language, a.k.a. sociolect, plays key role in Alberta Court of Appeal decision
A sociolect is a form of language used by a specific social group, such as teenagers. Teenagers often create and adopt slang or code words to establish their identity and distinguish themselves from adults or authority figures. The Alberta Court of Appeal was asked to interpret a sociolect used in a courtroom before a jury in its recent decision in R. v. Cervantes, [2025] A.J. No. 522, when Enrike Jose Cervantes and Chngkouth John Makuag challenged their sexual assault convictions.
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July 17, 2025
Ecofeminism and Canadian law: An emerging alliance
Imagine a world where caring for the land means caring for people, where the health of farms and natural resources is inseparable from the well-being of citizens in our legal system. This vision lies at the heart of ecofeminism, which advances a critical legal perspective that foregrounds the interdependence of ecological health and social equity.
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July 17, 2025
Psilocybin access: FCA rules government must explain policy change
Government policy — especially science-based policy — is not supposed to stand still. But when policy changes, it is not enough for an administrative decision-maker to simply reference the change when making a decision that is clearly inconsistent with prior determinations on identical issues. That was the conclusion of the Federal Court of Appeal in Toth v. Canada (Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health), 2025 FCA 119 — a case that concerned a discretionary exemption for access to psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in hallucinogenic mushrooms.
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July 17, 2025
Novel pleadings alleging inferiority of grey market goods survive motion to strike
The decision in Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (c.o.b. Toyota Motor Corp.) v. Marrand Auto Inc., 2025 FC 1105, issued on June 18, 2025, by Justice Janet Fuhrer, upheld a decision by Associate Judge Trent Horne that barely allowed the claim to survive a motion to strike. Justice Fuhrer makes the following query at the outset of her appeal decision on the motion to strike: “When is a TOYOTA bumper no longer a TOYOTA brand product? When it is damaged during shipment by a grey marketer, according to the Plaintiffs. Not so fast, says the Defendant.”
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July 16, 2025
Carney announces new measures to protect steel industry including TRQs on FTA partners
Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a series of new measures to protect the domestic steel industry, including the introduction of a tariff rate quota (TRQ) for steel imports from Canada’s free trade agreement (FTA) partners, excluding the United States.
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July 16, 2025
Ontario Court of Appeal upholds municipal authority in Stratford encroachment dispute
In a decision that could provide guidance for property owners, municipalities and municipal law practitioners, the Ontario Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by a Stratford, Ont., property owner who sought to avoid entering into a city encroachment agreement for structures built on a municipal road allowance, ruling that the city never expressly approved the encroachments despite having issued building permits and occupancy certificates.
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July 16, 2025
N.S. renews funding deal with feds to help families of missing, murdered Indigenous people
Nova Scotia has renewed a partnership with the federal government ensuring “more families of missing and murdered Indigenous people” receive support.
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July 16, 2025
Darren Glossop joins BLG’s disputes group
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) has welcomed Darren Glossop as counsel in its disputes group in Calgary.
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July 16, 2025
Federal Court rules pulsed electric field tech not covered by McCain patent on french fry treatment
The Federal Court has dismissed a patent infringement suit brought by McCain Foods, finding that the company’s claims over electric field processing of potatoes for french fries does not extend to a newer pulsed electric field (PEF) technology, which applies higher electric fields in rapid pulses.
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July 16, 2025
Resource bills are ‘clear and present danger’ to First Nations’ self-determination rights: lawsuit
Nine Ontario First Nations have launched a lawsuit against both Ottawa and Queen’s Park, saying federal and provincial legislation intended to speed up resource development violates their constitutional rights.