Access to Justice
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March 06, 2025
Racial profiling argument fails to sway Ontario Court of Appeal
The advice offered by Chicago poet and journalist Carl Sandburg to young lawyers is that if the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. Sandburg’s admonition seems to underlie the defence of Amirhosein Alipourobati who appealed his convictions for offences related to unlawful possession of firearms discovered during a traffic stop.
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March 05, 2025
B.C. budget focuses on responding to tariff threats while also investing in justice initiatives
The B.C. government has rolled out a fiscal plan for the coming year that is aimed at protecting public services in the face of U.S. tariffs, while also focusing on increased investments in the justice system and public safety.
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March 05, 2025
B.C. appoints four new Provincial Court judges
The Government of British Columbia has appointed four new Provincial Court judges to support access to justice.
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March 05, 2025
Manitoba appeal asks if police action rose to level of implied threats, other questions
In December 2022, a judge sentenced Kyle Pietz to 16 years in prison for killing office cleaner Eduardo Balaquit. In May of that year, a jury convicted Pietz, then 37, of manslaughter in the 2018 killing. Balaquit’s body has never been found. Pietz denied killing Balaquit, and the whereabouts of his remains are unknown.
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March 04, 2025
Is referring family law cases to mediation after being denied SCC appeal a good idea? | Eric Sadvari
Like many family law lawyers, I recently sat glued to my computer screen watching Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia being argued at the Supreme Court of Canada. The hearing was intense. As dramatic as it was academically rigorous. The questions from the bench began just 20 seconds in and never let up. For a self-professed family law enthusiast, it was everything I could have asked for.
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March 04, 2025
Why court upheld Licence Appeal Tribunal decision for car salesperson
An Ontario law requires that a car salesperson be licensed. An applicant seeking registration under the Act is not entitled to be licensed if that person’s past conduct affords reasonable grounds for believing that the salesperson will not conduct business under the law and with integrity and honesty (Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30 s. 6).
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March 03, 2025
NWT law society rolls out professional conduct ‘guidelines’ for lawyers' use of generative AI
The Law Society of the Northwest Territories has issued, for the first time, “Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI in the Practice of Law,” following a similar move by several Canadian legal regulators that have provided AI-specific guidance for lawyers’ professional conduct and practice over the past year.
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March 03, 2025
B.C. appeal decision in defamation case sends ‘very ominous, chilling message,’ lawyer says
British Columbia’s top court has ruled against a former school board trustee who made incendiary comments online about one of his colleagues. But his lawyer is saying the decision sets a “remarkably low bar” for a plaintiff to advance a libel claim in the future.
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March 03, 2025
Reframing legal technology: From institutional efficiency to user-centric access to justice
Legal practitioners and courts have long anticipated the transformative potential of technology in law. From digitized case management systems to artificial intelligence-driven legal research tools, technological advancements promised efficiency, accessibility, and, ultimately, greater and more meaningful access to justice. However, despite significant investment and integration of digital tools, legal professionals and courts increasingly express skepticism about the tangible benefits of legal technology for justice and access to it.
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February 28, 2025
Nova Scotia court approves $2.1 million settlement in Dell data breach class action
A Halifax law firm has announced court approval of a $2.1 million settlement in a class action lawsuit against computer giant Dell Canada and parent Dell USA over a 2018 data breach.