Wills, Trusts & Estates
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March 21, 2025
Court of Appeal upholds action despite six-year delay, cancels certificates of pending litigation
The B.C. Court of Appeal has upheld a lower court’s decision not to dismiss a legal action despite a six-year delay in prosecution — but overturned a ruling that allowed related certificates of pending litigation (CPLs) to remain in place.
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March 21, 2025
Carney cancels increase in capital gains inclusion rate, GST for some first-time home buyers
Days before a federal election call expected this Sunday, March 23, Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled two key tax changes, including a March 21 announcement that his government will cancel its controversial proposed increase in the capital gains tax inclusion rate.
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March 21, 2025
Canada sanctions 8 Venezuelan officials, 3 Haitians individuals with dealings and immigration bans
The Government of Canada has imposed sanctions against three individuals it says have exacerbated the political, security and humanitarian crisis in Haiti and against eight current senior officials of the Venezuelan government it says have engaged in activities that directly or indirectly supported human rights violations or anti-democracy violations in Venezuela.
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March 19, 2025
Ford announces new Ontario cabinet, most ministers remain in position
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced his new cabinet, emphasizing that they will deliver on the province’s mandate to “do whatever is necessary to protect Ontario in the face of tariffs from the United States.”
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March 18, 2025
Wills revoked by marriage not revived by repeal of wills legislation
Over the last 15 years, a number of jurisdictions in Canada have repealed the law under which a will is revoked by marriage. In British Columbia, for example, the rule was simply excluded when the Wills, Estates and Succession Act was enacted.
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March 17, 2025
Yukon introduces changes to laws on dying without a will
Yukon’s government is proposing amendments to legislation concerning wills, estates and powers of attorney — including changes to laws dealing with those who die without a will and with no family.
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March 13, 2025
Ottawa offers ‘discretionary grant of citizenship’ to ‘lost Canadians’ hit by 1st generation limit
Ottawa says it is again asking a court to give it more time to replace an unconstitutional citizenship law, but in the meantime it is offering a “discretionary grant of citizenship” to certain categories of people affected by the Citizenship Act’s "first-generation limit" to citizenship by descent.
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March 10, 2025
Iranians face more bans as Ottawa expands scope of sanctions to all Iran’s ‘malign activities’
Ottawa has imposed dealings and immigration bans on Iranian business people and companies connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC’s) weapons production and sales, in a move that also expands the range of Iranian activities that can be sanctioned under the federal Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations.
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March 07, 2025
Tobacco companies’ plans of arrangement approved, claims to begin for class action worth billions
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has approved the plans of compromise and arrangement for three tobacco companies, which allows the claims process to begin for a class action against them potentially worth billions of dollars.
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March 06, 2025
Settlement of over $535M reached to resolve Federal Indian Hospitals class action
The federal government has announced a final settlement agreement worth more than $535 million in the Federal Indian Hospitals class action, which alleged that patients at the facilities suffered verbal, psychological, physical and/or sexual abuse.