Family
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September 10, 2024
Federal lawyers’ union contends Ottawa’s return-to-office order is ‘arbitrary, counterproductive’
Arguing that the federal government’s return-to-office directive to public servants is “costly, inefficient, arbitrary, and counterproductive,” the union for more than 3,500 federal lawyers has challenged the federal Treasury Board direction that lawyers and most other federal workers must be physically present in their workplaces at least three days a week.
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September 09, 2024
Manitoba court approves $530M settlement involving special allowances for children in care
The Manitoba Court of King’s Bench has approved three class action settlements totalling $530 million related to the province’s withholding or clawing back of the children’s special allowance (CSA) for kids in the care of provincially funded Indigenous and non-Indigenous child and family services (CFS) agencies.
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September 09, 2024
3 new shareholders leading influx of Cozen O’Connor staff
The Vancouver office of Cozen O’Connor saw a “game-changing” expansion when the firm added 13 new lawyers and nine support staff to its fast-growing team, a Sept. 3 news release from the firm announced. The incoming team is led by shareholders Virgil Hlus, Cam McTavish and Chantal M. Cattermole. All members of the incoming team join Cozen O’Connor from Clark Wilson LLP.
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September 09, 2024
New rules for legal name changes in B.C. now in effect
Legislative changes are now in effect in British Columbia to prevent people convicted of serious Criminal Code offences from legally changing their names.
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September 06, 2024
Unsuccessful parenting appeal: Attempting to rely on a post-separation status quo, ‘fresh evidence’
In the recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision of Duwyn v. Ross, 2024 ONCA 637, the appellant unsuccessfully sought to appeal an order made by Justice Michael Valente of the Superior Court of Justice dated May 26, 2023. The appellant also sought to introduce fresh evidence on appeal, which was ultimately dismissed by the court. The case is a helpful reminder to family law counsel that litigants cannot rely on a “parenting status quo” created post-separation and that fresh evidence is not “new” evidence or a reiteration of the evidence led at trial.
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September 06, 2024
4 new judges appointed to Ontario Court of Justice
The Ontario government announced in a Sept. 4 news release the appointment of Dana Irene Haklander, Veronica Katherine Judith Puls, Kelly Marie Slate and Erin Samantha Thomas as judges of the province’s Court of Justice, effective Sept. 12.
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September 05, 2024
After navigating choppy waters, Alberta trumpets ‘collaborative’ new legal aid governance deal
A new five-year legal aid governance deal in Alberta appears to have calmed, at least for now, the choppy waters the provincial law society and Legal Aid Alberta (LAA) encountered in late June when the Alberta government abruptly changed its negotiating stance at the 11th hour, raising the prospect that legal aid certificates could no longer be issued once the predecessor governance agreement expired in July.
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September 05, 2024
Ontario Ombudsman launches investigation into placement of children, youth in unlicensed settings
Ontario ombudsman Paul Dubé has launched an investigation into child welfare agencies placing young children and teens in motels, hotels offices and trailers.
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September 04, 2024
Immigration officials likely breached non-refoulement duty by ‘improper’ deportation of Rwandan
A judge has reiterated to immigration authorities that when the Federal Court issues a production order before the court decides whether to judicially review the refusal of an application for a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) it is a clear signal that the court is likely to grant leave and immigration officials should therefore “scale down” their enforcement strategies, not escalate them via an “improper” and precipitous deportation of a failed asylum claimant.
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September 04, 2024
3 new justices appointed to Alberta Court of Justice
The government of Alberta announced in an Aug. 28 news release the appointment of James Sawa, Susan Borsic and Gina Toni as justices to the province’s Court of Justice.