The Complete Brief

  • May 13, 2026

    Virtual mediation: Practical tips for better outcomes

    The vast majority of mediations in Ontario continue to take place virtually. Convenient and often cost-effective, virtual mediation is clearly here to stay — even if I personally would welcome a greater return to in-person mediations (more on that in an upcoming article). It is therefore worth thinking carefully about how virtual mediations can be structured to maximize effectiveness.

  • May 13, 2026

    Using a letter of wishes for personal effects in your estate plan

    A well-crafted estate plan addresses more than just your major assets, like real estate, corporate interests and investment accounts. It can also encompass personal effects with both sentimental and financial value. Often, these items carry deep emotional significance and can also be the focal point of disagreement among loved ones, regardless of their monetary value. One practical tool to guide the distribution of these items and potentially avoid these disagreements is a letter of wishes.

  • May 13, 2026

    Appeal Court cites Gladue factors in cutting RCMP officer’s sentence

    Bernie Herman, a married man and a 30-year RCMP officer, was charged with the first-degree murder of Braden Herman, his intimate same-sex partner.

  • May 13, 2026

    Canadian Food Inspection Agency signals direction on plant-based egg alternative labelling

    In response to the growing presence of plant‑based alternatives in the Canadian marketplace, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued, in January 2026, the What we heard report: Consultation on proposed guidance on how to label and represent plant-based alternatives to egg products (the Report).

  • May 13, 2026

    CIVIL PROCEDURE - Summary judgments - Grounds for review - Moot issues

    Appeal by Kelly from the dismissal of his motion for summary judgment. The motion sought to strike the petitioner Polowy’s claim for an accounting and equalization of family assets, including pensions, on the basis that the petition was filed outside the three‑year limitation period.

  • May 12, 2026

    Mortgage renewals to ease in 2026 amid rising stress in some regions: CMHC

    Canada’s residential mortgage market reached the peak of its renewal wave in 2025 as more borrowers faced rising financial stress while renewing loans at higher interest rates, according to a report by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

  • May 12, 2026

    B.C. announces new regulations for emergency preparedness

    British Columbia’s municipalities and regional districts will soon have new responsibilities under the Emergency and Disaster Management Act as modernized requirements for emergency management will come into effect.

  • May 12, 2026

    Court of Appeal quashes appeal of project restructuring order as interlocutory

    The Ontario Court of Appeal has quashed an appeal arising from a court-supervised sale process under the Ontario Business Corporations Act, holding that the order was interlocutory and therefore appealable only to the Divisional Court with leave.

  • May 12, 2026

    Ontario nurses, health care workers fight law blocking strikes

    Ontario nurses have launched a constitutional challenge of a decades-old statute that prohibits them from taking job action. The lawsuit from the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA), which represents more than 68,000 nurses and health care professionals, aims to strike down the Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act (HLDAA).

  • May 12, 2026

    Parker v. King: Accommodation, fairness of process and Rico the python

    Family court cases are quite varied. Some involve straight couples. Some same-sex. Some married. Some common law. Some no children. Some blended families. Some complex or foreign assets. More recently, the asset being debated in court is the family pet, such as a cat or dog.

Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the The Complete Brief archive.