Constitutional
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February 14, 2025
Yukon releases feedback on potential changes to parentage, child-naming laws
Yukon’s government has released feedback received on potential changes to the territory’s laws on parentage and the naming of children.
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February 12, 2025
Decision in Freedom Convoy case ‘seemingly has legs’ to go to Appeal Court, SCC: legal scholar
An Ontario judge has dismissed an application by a police officer who said his rights had been violated when he was disciplined for donating money to the Freedom Convoy protests, but a legal expert is saying the issues raised may lead to further review by the courts.
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February 11, 2025
Claims process to begin for First Nations Child and Family Services, Jordan’s Principle Settlement
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) has announced that the Federal Court has approved a launch date for the first claims period for those affected by the First Nations Child and Family Services Program and the narrow application of Jordan’s Principle class action settlement.
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February 11, 2025
Yukon’s Teslin Tlingit Council moves further towards establishing justice system
A First Nation in Yukon has taken another step towards having its own justice system after signing an agreement furthering the use of community-based “restorative measures.”
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February 10, 2025
C.J. Wagner says top court ‘exploring’ provision of mediation in cases where leave to appeal denied
Lawyers say they want to know specifics about the out-of-the-blue disclosure from Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice Richard Wagner that he has asked his staff to “explore the possibility” of the top court providing “mediation” for litigants in cases where the apex court denies leave to appeal, and his suggestion that family law cases might lend themselves to a potential mediation initiative.
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February 07, 2025
‘Arguable’ B.C. COVID-19 vaccine passport infringed woman’s equality rights: Court of Appeal
British Columbia’s highest court has ruled that a vaccination passport regime initially imposed by the provincial government during the COVID-19 pandemic may have violated a woman’s equality rights — but declined to weigh in further on the issue because the initial rules were in place for a relatively short time and the circumstances surrounding are unlikely to be repeated.
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February 05, 2025
Virani extols more diverse bench; says he’s working to get new wrongful conviction review body going
In contrast to the new U.S administration’s dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies targeting hiring biases against members of racialized and other underrepresented groups, the Trudeau government is doubling down on its commitment to diversity, with Justice Minister Arif Virani proudly extolling the federal Liberals’ record of appointing many “brilliant” women and racialized jurists to the federal trial and appellate benches.
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February 03, 2025
Manitoba establishes protest ‘buffer zones’ around abortion clinics
Manitoba’s New Democrats have put in place legislation outlawing protests within “buffer zones” around abortion clinics. According to a government news release, the government has proclaimed its Safe Access to Abortion Services Act, which came into force Feb. 1. and provides for “safety perimeters” around clinics performing the procedure.
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January 30, 2025
Saskatchewan seeks intervenor status in N.L. federal equalization challenge
Saskatchewan has applied to be an intervenor in Newfoundland and Labrador’s legal challenge to Ottawa’s federal equalization program — a longstanding system that transfers money to provinces with less “fiscal capacity.”
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January 30, 2025
Interpreter delay in drug case was ‘isolated and situational-specific,’ says Ontario Court of Appeal
Ontario’s top court has dismissed the appeal of a man convicted on drug charges who argued his arrest violated the Charter because police had failed to inform him of his rights in Vietnamese.