The Complete Brief
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April 01, 2026
Why parole boards must not be swayed by public opinion
As Easter approaches, we are reminded of a crowd’s shouts to “Give us Barabbas.” The Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, believed Jesus was innocent but capitulated to the pressure of the crowd to prevent a riot. Should public pressure influence the justice system? On March 27, Global News reminded us of a situation that unfolded in British Columbia in 2021 and is now recurring in 2026.
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April 01, 2026
Saskatchewan court examines ‘material change’ needed for changes to parenting order
If judges are going to change a parenting order, they must first do a “complete analysis” as to whether there has been a “material change” in the circumstances of the child, says the lawyer of a dad who took his ex to court after being shortchanged time with their son.
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April 01, 2026
ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION - Approvals, licences and orders - Water
Appeal by the Gwich’in Tribal Council (GTC) from the dismissal of its judicial review application. The application challenged the Gwich’in Land and Water Board’s (GLWB) decision to renew a Type B water licence for KBL Environmental Ltd.’s (KBL) soil treatment facility (STF) in Inuvik.
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April 01, 2026
Real estate: HST relief for buyers, although temporary
On March 25, the Ontario government announced some temporary relief for buyers who are purchasing new homes. The harmonized sales tax (HST) rebate in Ontario is being expanded to all buyers to a maximum of $130,000. Both provincial and federal governments will eat up the entire 13 per cent HST. The province will cover its eight per cent, and federal will cover five per cent of the HST.
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March 31, 2026
Judicial council sanctions handful of federal judges but rejects hundreds of conduct complaints
The Canadian Judicial Council (CJC), which oversees the professional conduct of the country’s 1,184 federally appointed judges, says that five judges were reprimanded or received other disciplinary sanctions last year.
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March 31, 2026
B.C. proposes new process to resolve First Nations issues in environmental assessments
British Columbia is proposing amendments to the Environmental Assessment Act that would introduce a new process for resolving issues raised by First Nations during environmental assessments.
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March 31, 2026
Canada invests $157M for gun violence prevention initiatives
The federal government has announced that it is providing up to $157.5 million for gun and gang violence prevention initiatives through the Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF) over the next three years.
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March 31, 2026
Alberta pushes for constitutional change on judicial appointments
The Government of Alberta announced that it will introduce a motion calling for “constitutional amendments that give the province a say in superior court appointments.”
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March 31, 2026
Tribunal ruling on First Nations child welfare system a ‘long-awaited milestone,’ minister says
In a letter decision, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has approved a deal between Ontario First Nations and the federal government, which will reform the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Program in the province.
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March 31, 2026
Report finds 1,000-plus Charter breaches by Ontario police
Legal observers are calling for systemic change in response to a new report that found more than 1,000 Charter violations by police in a 10-year period — a number that is being called only the tip of the iceberg. The Unlawful Enforcers report, which was co-authored by Western University faculty of law adjunct research professor Sunil Gurmukh, found that officers from the five largest city police services in Ontario — namely Toronto, Peel, York Region, Durham Region and Ottawa — violated the Charter more than 1,000 times in over 600 reported court cases in a 10-year period from 2015 to 2025.