December 15, 2025
The British Columbia Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal of a regional district and the province, upholding the finding that it may be arguable that lands that were transferred in fee simple under a treaty agreement may still have some characteristics of treaty land for purposes of s. 35 of the Constitution Act.
December 12, 2025
Canadian Bar Association president Bianca Kratt has issued a statement calling on governments to avoid statements that damage the legitimacy of courts following B.C. Premier David Eby’s recent comments describing court decisions concerning Indigenous rights as creating “toxic” uncertainty.
December 12, 2025
The world’s artificial intelligence (AI) boom is accelerating at a pace that few anticipated even a year ago. Data centres are rising across continents. Chip manufacturers are operating at maximum capacity. Investors are pouring billions into technologies, the long-term returns of which remain uncertain. Analysts now warn that this acceleration may be building towards an “AI crash.”
December 12, 2025
British Columbia’s top court has held that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is part of B.C. law and that the province’s mineral claims regime is inconsistent with UNDRIP.
December 10, 2025
McCarthy Tétrault has welcomed Alastair MacKinnon as a partner in its business law group in Calgary.
December 10, 2025
Canada’s economic growth has slowed in recent years, with business investment lagging and productivity measures falling behind peer economies. Ottawa has hinted that any meaningful revival may need to start with the institutions that have remained resolutely strong: Canada’s major banks.
December 09, 2025
In a class action proceeding, the Federal Court has recognized a sui generis fiduciary duty owed by Canada to the Shamattawa First Nation, addressing the long-standing issue of inadequate access to safe drinking water on reserves.
December 09, 2025
With the Cowichan Tribes v. Canada (Attorney General), 2025 BCSC 1490 decision, the British Columbia Supreme Court cast aside nearly a millennium of certainty regarding land ownership. It did this by severely limiting the rights inherent to fee simple title. It additionally declared invalid land titles under the province’s Torrens land registry system (undermining the provincial guaranty inherent in Torrens systems). Given the nature of the claim, namely ownership and development of land that occurred in the absence of a formal treaty, this decision has nationwide implications.
December 08, 2025
More than 60 per cent of Quebec lawyers with fewer than 10 years of experience suffer from psychological distress, a comprehensive study reveals, painting a disconcerting portrait of young lawyers overwhelmed by stress and struggling with the pressures of billable hours and long workweeks.
December 05, 2025
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has certified a class action over the 2021 Lytton wildfire and urged a return to the simple application of the “some basis in fact” standard during certification.