Pulse
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November 20, 2025
Young persons and the self-contained bail regime under the Youth Criminal Justice Act
The goal of this article is three-fold: to reflect on my non-profit work experience working with children and youth, share limited relevant information about the self-contained bail regime of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, S.C. 2002, c. 1 (YCJA), and briefly discuss how the proposed bail reform may affect youth bail hearings. As this goal is rather ambitious, I would only be able to scratch the surface of the last item. I leave the invitation to other counsel to contribute to this important discussion.
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November 19, 2025
Liberal government unveils first budget bill, says criminal justice bill to come before Christmas
The Carney government’s 2025 legislative to-do list got longer with the rollout of its first budget implementation omnibus bill, which proposes dozens of tax and other statutory measures.
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November 19, 2025
Cozen O’Connor adds estate counsel Alexander J. Swabuk
Cozen O’Connor LLP has welcomed Alexander J. Swabuk as estate and trust counsel in its Vancouver office.
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November 19, 2025
Hammerco Lawyers opens new London, Ont., office
Hammerco Lawyers LLP has expanded into Ontario with the opening of a new office in London, to be led by Sabrina Lombardi, a class action litigator who joins the firm as a partner.
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November 19, 2025
Self-defence for lawyers, part three
It’s Friday, shortly after 5 p.m. at a small, nondescript law office. You have gathered some court briefs to review at home over the weekend and lock the office door without a quick scan before proceeding through a darkened parking lot to your car. Your strong hand is pulling a wheeled file case, and the other is tasked with getting your car keys when suddenly, you hear someone screaming expletives.
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November 19, 2025
Refresher on legal ethics for unscrupulous litigators, part two
In part one of this two-part series, I told the story of a lawyer from out west who I called Bill. Bill, apparently at the urging of his boss (who had bigger fish to fry), tried to dump a client (Bob) by making a motion to get off the record a few days before the trial date, and returnable on the trial date. He showed up, having done no trial preparation, and put the client at risk of being ordered to proceed with the trial.
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November 19, 2025
Speeding ticket victory in Saskatchewan Court of Appeal
In most routine speeding ticket trials, expert evidence is not called, either by the Crown or the defence.
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November 18, 2025
Alexandre-Philippe Avard appointed to Quebec Superior Court
Alexandre-Philippe Avard, a partner at Dentons, has been appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montreal.
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November 18, 2025
B.C. appoints 6 new judges
The federal Department of Justice has announced the appointment of six new judges to British Columbia courts.
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November 18, 2025
The broken shield: Who is accountable when a Canadian’s life savings disappear?
Canadian banks say they’re on the front lines of the fraud war. But for Ray Anholt, a now 90-year-old Victoria resident, these defences were paper-thin. His entire life savings, painstakingly acquired and entrusted to RBC and CIBC, vanished in a slick “bank investigator” scam that exposes some interesting holes in Canada’s so-called consumer safety nets.