The Complete Brief
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December 06, 2024
No Charter breach when police warrantlessly searched text messages in ‘exigent circumstances’: SCC
The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed 6-3 an Ontario man’s appeal of his drug trafficking convictions, holding that his Charter rights were not breached because “exigent circumstances” justified police, without a warrant, using a cellphone they seized from a drug dealer to impersonate that dealer and continue his texting with the accused to arrange what police suspected to be a purchase of fentanyl-laced heroin.
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December 06, 2024
B.C. Court of Appeal overturns order allowing third-party claim in Aboriginal title case
The B.C. Court of Appeal has upheld an order adding a First Nation as a defendant in another First Nation’s Aboriginal title claim — but overturned an order permitting the additional First Nation to file a third-party claim, citing potential delays.
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December 06, 2024
Alberta court certifies class action against Canada over alleged sexual abuse by military priest
The Alberta Court of King’s Bench has certified a class action against the federal government relating to alleged child sexual abuse said to be caused by a military priest at an Edmonton army base.
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December 06, 2024
Sales of patented medicines in Canada soared to almost $20B in 2023, says review board
Buoyed by high prices, sales of patented medicines in Canada last year totalled almost $20 billion — representing 47.3 per cent of the country’s entire medicines market, according to the 2023 annual report of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB).
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December 06, 2024
Unifor accuses Walmart of anti-union tactics in complaint filed with Industrial Relations Board
Canada’s largest private sector union is alleging that retail giant Walmart Canada has imposed a wage freeze on some workers in locations where Unifor is attempting to negotiate a first contract.
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December 06, 2024
Lawyer critical after court’s finding doctor did not cause patient’s death
A Saskatchewan lawyer acting for the family of an overweight, pack-a-day smoker who died after having a heart attack says a local doctor has been able to “hide behind her own ineptitude” after a court found that her negligence did not cause the man’s death.
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December 06, 2024
The Friday Brief: Managing Editor’s must-read items from this week
Here are my picks for the top stories we published this week.
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December 06, 2024
Ontario red tape bill takes aim at housing development, landlord and tenant board
Ontario has brought in new legislation aimed at cutting red tape and helping to spur economic growth, with many of the provisions aimed at accelerating housing development and fixing the backlog at the provincial landlord and tenant board.
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December 06, 2024
A funny thing happened on the way to the morgue | Marcel Strigberger
You only die twice. No this is not a title for a James Bond movie. I’m talking about people being misdiagnosed as being dead when in fact they are still alive. Do they have any legal recourse?
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December 06, 2024
Is Canada’s GST/HST rebate a holiday gift or a burden for business owners? | David Rotfleisch
The Canadian federal government has passed new legislation to provide a two-month tax break, effectively putting more cash in consumers’ pockets for a range of goods. The tax break will last from Dec. 14, 2024, to Feb. 15, 2025, for eligible purchases.