Pulse
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December 10, 2025
McCarthy Tétrault adds Alastair MacKinnon as partner in Calgary
McCarthy Tétrault has welcomed Alastair MacKinnon as a partner in its business law group in Calgary.
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December 10, 2025
Prison lawyers: Contraband smugglers or misunderstood advocates?
The main gate phone rang; it was the shift supervisor: “We got Milano’s lawyer comin’ in at 13:30, make sure you check him good!”
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December 09, 2025
Federal Protecting Victims Act proposes wide-ranging & some contentious criminal law changes
The federal government has introduced a wide-ranging “Protecting Victims Act,” which proposes, among many things: the expansion of various offences and punishments; new restrictions impacting the current interpretation of the Charter rights of accused persons to speedy trials and to make full answer and defence in sexual assault and other prosecutions; the creation of a number of novel Criminal Code offences; and the effective “restoration” for future sentencing (via a new judicial discretion “safety valve”) of “all” unconstitutional Criminal Code mandatory minimum penalties (MMPs) that were struck down as cruel and unusual punishment by various courts.
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December 09, 2025
Legal problem or leadership problem?
I am going to tell you a story that was told to me by a law firm partner who cannot risk telling it herself.
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December 09, 2025
Chanel Provost joins Woods’ litigation team
Woods has added Chanel Provost to its team in Montreal, the firm has announced.
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December 09, 2025
Andrew Boyd joins Blakes as partner in tax group
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes) has welcomed Andrew Boyd as a partner in its tax controversy and litigation group.
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December 09, 2025
Are Canadian courts fit for purpose?
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.
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December 09, 2025
B.C. case highlights differences between ‘con code’ and law’s limited understanding of jail justice
Canadian courts often invoke the Charter of Rights and Freedoms when evaluating the actions of police, prosecutors and trial judges. Section 7, guaranteeing “life, liberty and security of the person,” forms the core of our constitutional framework. However, the protection it offers does not always reach those who need it most.
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December 09, 2025
Driving this holiday season: Understanding offences of impaired driving and dangerous driving
The holiday season is upon us. Every year, it feels as though everyone is trying to accomplish in one month what they set out to do in a year. The days of our lives and the roads grow busier. Then, factor in the holiday office parties, inclement weather and poor road conditions. Together, it is a recipe for disaster.
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December 08, 2025
Anna Morrish joins WeirFoulds as litigation associate
WeirFoulds LLP has welcomed Anna Morrish as an associate in its commercial litigation group.