Constitutional
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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
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.
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March 31, 2026
What happens when a government can override constitutional rights? Canada is about to find out
One of the most consequential constitutional cases in recent Canadian history was heard this week. At issue is not only the validity of Quebec’s Act respecting the laicity of the State — commonly known as Bill 21 — but also a deeper question: what happens to constitutional rights when governments can override them in advance?
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March 30, 2026
PM launches process to select Justice Martin’s replacement on SCC bench
On March 30, Prime Minister Mark Carney launched the process to “select the next judge of the Supreme Court of Canada, who will fill the vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of Justice Sheilah L. Martin.”
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March 30, 2026
N.B. to launch ‘centralized’ online bail hearings
New Brunswick is launching virtual bail hearings for select locations in a bid to free up court space, quicken access to justice and conserve resources. According to a recent news release, the launch is slotted for April 9 and will begin for “all bail hearings from Fredericton and Woodstock.”
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March 27, 2026
Bar association warns against premiers’ push to vet judicial picks
The Canadian Bar Association (CBA) is calling on the federal government to resist “politicization” of judicial appointments amid calls for change from several provincial leaders. CBA president Bianca Kratt, in a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, said the process as it currently exists has “real strengths, above all its meaningful insulation from political considerations.”
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March 25, 2026
Ottawa & provinces roll out disparate views on the ‘notwithstanding’ clause at Supreme Court
Before the Supreme Court of Canada reserved its impending historic decision on March 26, the top court heard starkly different interpretations this week about the nature and operation of the Charter’s s. 33 “notwithstanding” clause.
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March 26, 2026
Ottawa introduces bill targeting foreign interference, deepfakes and long ballots
The Liberal government has introduced legislation aimed at protecting federal elections from foreign interference, cracking down on “long ballot” protest tactics and curbing election-related misinformation, according to a March 26 release.
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March 26, 2026
Nova Scotia Power commits to strengthening cybersecurity after major breach
Nova Scotia Power has committed to strengthening its cybersecurity measures following a data breach that exposed sensitive information, including social insurance numbers, driver’s licence numbers and email addresses, of more than 900,000 customers.
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March 25, 2026
Alberta MAID bill’s restrictions vulnerable to challenge beyond mental health issue: legal expert
Alberta lawmakers are currently grappling with legislation that would put guardrails on medical assistance in dying (MAID) for those who are suffering from mental health issues, but legal experts are saying other aspects of the law leave it vulnerable to legal challenge.