Constitutional
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November 11, 2024
Advocacy organizations pledge to challenge proposed Alberta transgender health care, pronoun laws
Alberta has rolled out a suite of legislative proposals that would prohibit certain types of gender-affirming health care for youth and require parental approval for name change or pronoun use for many students, but a number of advocacy groups have said they will challenge the laws, calling them discriminatory and harmful.
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November 08, 2024
Consultation on freedom of expression at Alberta regulatory bodies driven by politics: observers
The Alberta government has launched a consultation as it considers bringing in legislation aimed at protecting what the province described as freedom of expression at regulatory bodies, but a number of legal observers say the review is being driven by politics rather than serious concerns about what regulators are doing.
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November 07, 2024
Federal Court of Appeal upholds random drug testing for ‘safety critical’ nuclear workers
The Federal Court of Appeal has upheld pre-placement and random alcohol and drug testing requirements for safety-critical workers at nuclear facilities, rejecting a union challenge to their constitutionality.
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November 07, 2024
TikTok Canada plans legal challenge to Ottawa’s order to cease operations
The Canadian arm of popular, China-based social media platform TikTok is vowing to take legal action to block a federal government order to close its operations due to national security concerns.
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November 05, 2024
Charter did not provide immunity for criminal conduct in COVID protest: Alberta Court of Appeal
Alberta’s top court has upheld a conviction of inciting mischief against a Calgary pastor for his role in protests against COVID-19 restrictions that saw the Canada-U.S. border shut down for two weeks, with his lawyer calling the ruling a “landmark” that provides a framework to law enforcement to curtail political speech and criminalize those who speak in favour of protestors.
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November 04, 2024
Canada releases draft regulations to further cap pollution from oil and gas sector
The federal government has published draft regulations aimed at capping greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions pollution from the oil and gas sector, incentivizing the industry to invest in “technically achievable” decarbonization for emission reductions by 2030–2032.
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November 04, 2024
Alberta Bill of Rights amendments confirm that rights are subject to limits, not absolute: law prof
Alberta legislators are considering an expansion of the province’s bill of rights to include protections against forced medical treatment and expropriation of land, but legal experts are saying the ultimate impact of the changes is likely not as strong as some might think.
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November 01, 2024
Narrow, complex decision has SCC decide on eligibility for preliminary hearings
Canada’s Supreme Court has ruled that two men accused of sex crimes and each facing a maximum of 10 years in prison were entitled to preliminary inquiries — even though legislative changes made during their criminal proceedings restricted such hearings to those facing a maximum of 14 years.
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October 31, 2024
Speakers at Manitoba A2J conference call for more prison libraries
Many of Canada’s provinces should take cues from Ottawa and move to properly recognize the need for libraries in prisons, say speakers at a recent event in Manitoba.
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October 30, 2024
Alberta taking feds to court over decision to exempt home heating oil from carbon levy
Alberta is taking the federal Liberal government to court to challenge the constitutionality of exemptions from Canada’s carbon pricing regime given to heating oil that were enacted last year.