Constitutional
-
June 10, 2025
Canada’s top judge declares ‘in this country, the rule of law is non-negotiable’
Lawyers, as officers of the court, have a professional “responsibility and obligation” to defend the rule of law and the independence of the bar and judiciary against attacks, Chief Justice of Canada Richard Wagner said at his annual news conference in Ottawa.
-
June 10, 2025
Quebec ordered to pay $164 million for Charter breach in class action suit
The Quebec government has been ordered by Superior Court to pay a staggering $164 million in compensatory damages, plus interest, for knowingly violating the rights of thousands of individuals who were arrested and illegally detained for a longer period of time than permitted by the Criminal Code prior to appearing before a justice of the peace.
-
June 10, 2025
Ontario’s Bill 5: Undermining Indigenous rights, species at risk protections in name of growth
On June 4, 2025, Ontario’s Ford government enacted Bill 5: Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025, despite widespread opposition from Indigenous communities, environmental advocates and the broader public. This sweeping omnibus bill amends or enacts 10 different laws, including:
-
June 09, 2025
Ontario court confirms Niagara Police liable for wrongful border arrests on unverified data
The Ontario Court of Appeal has upheld a $20,000 damages award against Niagara Police for wrongfully arresting two elderly people at the border, after officers relied solely on outdated police database information and failed to verify its accuracy despite the individuals’ protests that charges had been dropped.
-
June 06, 2025
As trade tensions rise, feds table legislation to accelerate national projects, internal trade
With an escalating trade war already reflected in worsening employment data, the federal government has introduced promised legislation aimed at removing federal barriers to interprovincial trade, improving labour mobility in Canada and fast-tracking large infrastructure projects “of national importance.”
-
June 06, 2025
Breaches at CRA, other government institutions impacted over 309,000 people: privacy commissioner
More than 309,000 individuals were affected by government institution privacy breaches reported to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) in 2024–25 — over twice as many as in the previous year according the OPC’s annual report.
-
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.”
-
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.
-
June 05, 2025
Alberta Appeal Court divided over review of coal mining decision
Alberta’s top court has dismissed an appeal of a decision that denied judicial review of a mining project, but the province’s chief justice issued a dissent that said that judicial review on questions of fact or mixed fact and law are constitutionally protected.
-
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.