Faster criminal & child welfare cases, more family law settlements among reforms led by new SCC judge
New Supreme Court of Canada Justice Glenn Joyal said of his 15 years leading Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench that ‘access-to-justice issues have required us to successfully reform and offer a better judicial service’ that is ‘less complex, less expensive and more prompt’ in criminal, civil, child protection and family law cases.
Thursday, July 02, 2026 @ 5:03 PM
The Supreme Court of Canada’s newest judge says his key areas of legal expertise are constitutional and criminal law, including the rules of evidence and procedure, though he has also presided over many civil and administrative law cases in his generalist trial court. Glenn Joyal, a former federal and Manitoba prosecutor and the longtime chief justice of the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, was elevated by the prime minister to the top court on June 30, succeeding Supreme Court Justice Sheilah Martin of Alberta, the highly respected constitutional and criminal law litigator, academic and judge who retired from the bench May 30. ... [read more]
Family judge exhibited ‘reasonable apprehension of bias’; lawyer warns judges must maintain fairness
Friday, July 03, 2026 @ 1:06 PM
Trial judges must be careful with their comments to lawyers and other parties to avoid the appearance of bias — particularly with family law matters, which often involve “difficult facts, difficult personalities and emotionally charged circumstances,” says a lawyer. The June 16 Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruling in Stronach v. Stronach, 2026 NSCA 47 involved a parenting and child support dispute. ... [read more]
Canada, B.C. partner to fast-track energy and trade corridors
Thursday, July 02, 2026 @ 5:24 PM
Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Columbia Premier David Eby have signed a new Canada-British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement to speed up construction of major energy and trade corridors. They will also establish a new National Carbon Credit Framework and Oceans Protection Plan. ... [read more]
Federal Court of Appeal strikes challenge to preliminary Copyright Board ruling as premature
Thursday, July 02, 2026 @ 5:22 PM
The Federal Court of Appeal has struck a judicial review application challenging a preliminary Copyright Board ruling in an online royalty tariff proceeding, finding that the challenge was premature because the board’s process had not yet run its course. ... [read more]
Women now a majority in legal profession, but barriers to equality persist: international report
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 @ 7:03 PM
The ranks of Canada’s bench and bar numbered slightly more women than men last year, yet many female jurists still reported gender-based and sexual harassment at work and don’t “feel seen as equals to their male colleagues,” according to a new report from the International Bar Association (IBA). The IBA’s investigation into the state of gender parity in Canada’s legal profession reported on June 30 that women make up 53 per cent of lawyers overall — with half of these working in senior positions as lawyers and partners, among the organizations surveyed. ... [read more]