Access to Justice
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October 24, 2025
Court upholds class action over CBSA’s placement of immigration detainees in prisons
The Ontario Court of Appeal has upheld a class action certification of a case alleging that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) unlawfully placed thousands of immigration detainees in provincial prisons instead of immigration holding centres (IHCs), despite them not being tried for any criminal offence.
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October 24, 2025
Bill C-14 based on outdated principle
After years of hearing criticism that the federal government was “soft on crime” and supporting bail policies seen as merely “catch and release” directives, Justice Minister Sean Fraser responded on Thursday by introducing Bill C-14.
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October 23, 2025
10 myths about prison life
When an accused is tried and convicted, few people in the courtroom (judge, jurors, prosecutor, defence counsel and guilty party) likely have a realistic understanding of what a prison sentence involves. It is, therefore, understandable that few novelists or screenwriters have extensive insight into the matter.
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October 22, 2025
Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan to host Access to Justice Week 2025
Three provinces are holding the 10th annual National Access to Justice Week later this month. Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are listed as hosing the event, which runs this year from Oct. 27 to 31 and is being quarterbacked by the Action Group on Access to Justice (TAG).
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October 21, 2025
When one sentencing objective trumps others
Some critics of our criminal justice system argue that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms functions like a “get out of jail free” card. However, the fact that someone’s Charter rights have been violated does not automatically lead to an acquittal if charges are laid and pursued. The case of Shaun Brabant illustrates this point.
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October 21, 2025
Neurodivergence, neurodiversity and inclusion
The law is often perceived as logical, precise and rigid, yet some exceptional legal minds defy these expectations. Across Canada, the legal profession is experiencing a long-overdue realization that brilliance comes in a variety of forms and neurological flavours.
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October 20, 2025
Marie-Joëlle Soulières appointed judge in Quebec
Quebec Minister of Justice Simon Jolin-Barrette has announced the appointment of Marie-Joëlle Soulières as a judge of the Court of Quebec.
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October 20, 2025
Jordan Goldblatt joins Law Foundation of Ontario’s class proceedings committee
The Law Foundation of Ontario has announced that Jordan Goldblatt has been appointed to its class proceedings committee.
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October 20, 2025
View from inside prison: What to do if your friend is arrested
About 250,000 people are charged with a crime in Canada every year. Estimates are that about four million Canadian adults have a criminal record. That’s about one in eight adults, and probably about one in five or six adult men. Which means that most of us know someone — quite possibly more than one person — who has been convicted of a crime.
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October 20, 2025
The Major Projects Office, Bill C-5 and the limits of Indigenous ‘advisory’
Bill C-5 received royal assent in June 2025. The process was swift and not without criticism. Now, the implementation of this new legislation, the Building Canada Act, raises more questions and concerns about what is lost at the sake of expediency.