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]
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]
Court rules First Nations lack standing to challenge Métis self-government agreement
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 @ 5:17 PM
The Federal Court has struck most of a judicial review challenging Canada’s 2023 self-government agreement with the Métis Nation of Ontario, ruling that the applicant First Nations lacked standing because the agreement did not directly affect their legal rights. ... [read more]
Ontario invests $4M for critical minerals projects
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 @ 4:39 PM
Ontario is investing over $4 million through the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund (CMIF) to advance new technologies and attract investment and jobs across the province. ... [read more]
Annual defence report says federal agency issued 4K foreign intel briefs, issued 97K alerts
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 @ 2:57 PM
The Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE) has released its 2025-2026 annual report, noting it produced nearly 4,000 foreign intelligence reports to alert the federal government to threats. ... [read more]