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May 07, 2026
The recent decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Court) in Grace et al. v. The United Mexican States, 2026 ONSC 2104 (Grace), raises important concerns about the boundaries of arbitrator impartiality and the proper application of the reasonable apprehension of bias standard in international arbitration.
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May 06, 2026
The Federal Court of Appeal has upheld a finding that commercial trading activity will not qualify as a source of income for tax purposes if it is undertaken in pursuit of tax losses rather than profit.
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May 06, 2026
After extensive public consultation, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has issued new guidance on age assurance intended for “operators of websites and online services as well as age assurance developers.”
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May 06, 2026
For many family businesses, especially those built across generations, the business is more than an asset. It represents decades of effort, risk-taking, and personal investment, which forms part of the family’s identity and legacy. Many family businesses are passed down among generations, with the ownership and management of such businesses often governed by family shareholder agreements. Yet, other family businesses may lack a clear succession plan when the next generation is not willing or capable of stepping into an owner-manager role.
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May 05, 2026
Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that former Supreme Court of Canada justice Louise Arbour will become Canada’s next governor general. Arbour will become the first former judge of the top court to take on the vice-regal role.
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May 05, 2026
B.C.’s top court has rejected the arguments from a First Nations chief that he was acting in accordance with his peoples’ traditional laws when violating a court injunction against impeding the construction of a natural gas pipeline, saying such a defence if it were to be recognized could only be raised as a last resort.
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May 05, 2026
In a decision on April 22, the Superior Court of Quebec (SCQ) annulled a 2025 award issued by an arbitrator in a domestic arbitration between the Osman Medical Clinic (Osman) in Quebec and the provincial health authority, Santé Québec-CCSMTL.
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May 05, 2026
Ontario courts continue to refine the boundaries of the province’s anti‑SLAPP regime, particularly at the threshold stage where a defendant must show that a proceeding arises from an expression relating to a matter of public interest. While the test is designed to be a modest one, recent decisions demonstrate that its application can still present difficulties where the line between “public” and “private” expression is blurred.
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May 05, 2026
An audit by an extended health benefits insurer can be an extremely invasive and stressful process for a health provider such as a health clinic or health professional. These audits also carry significant potential consequences, including demands for repayment, being delisted by the insurer and complaints to regulatory colleges.
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May 04, 2026
If part one of this three-part series (see below for link) was the amuse-bouche, this second article is the main course — served with a side of existential dread and a garnish of legal ambiguity. Welcome to the confluence of artificial intelligence, digital replicas and personality rights, where estate planning gets delightfully thorny and occasionally surreal.
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May 04, 2026
A recent Ontario Superior Court of Justice decision offers an important reminder for franchisors and franchisees alike: informal renewal arrangements can create significant legal uncertainty.
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May 04, 2026
Lawyers untrained in the science of negotiation might assume that negotiation is a contest of personalities. The better talker, quicker thinker, the more persuasive presence: these are the traits incorrectly associated with strong negotiators.
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May 04, 2026
First-year property law, 1988. Two hundred students. I could feel the energy in the room of young people excited to have made it into UBC law school. Professor Tod enters and slams the door. Walks over to the podium and scans the room while saying, “All title is vested in the Crown.” I felt like he was looking directly at me or even searching for visibly First Nation students as if to say, “We will not be tolerating any uppity Indians in this course!”
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May 01, 2026
In Canada, privilege protections are analogous but termed differently. Solicitor-client privilege safeguards confidential communications between a client and lawyer (or agents) made for obtaining or giving legal advice. Litigation privilege covers documents created predominantly for anticipated or ongoing litigation, including third-party inputs if directed toward that purpose. Both require intent to maintain confidentiality and reasonable steps to do so.
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May 01, 2026
For years, cybersecurity in Canada’s defence sector was largely a matter of self-declaration. That changed on April 14, 2026, when the Government of Canada officially introduced Level 1 of the Canadian Program for Cyber Security Certification (CPCSC). Mandatory requirements take effect in select defence contracts starting summer 2026. Suppliers that can’t demonstrate compliance at contract award risk losing work they’ve already won.
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May 01, 2026
Heralding a significant shift in the Canadian legal landscape, the British Columbia Supreme Court has rejected the legal profession’s constitutional challenge to the B.C. Legal Professions Act — legislation that would end more than 150 years of lawyer self-governance and self-regulation by benchers elected from the provincial bar.
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May 01, 2026
On April 2, Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks released proposed amendments to various producer responsibility regulations under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016. Comments on the proposed amendments can be submitted via the Environmental Registry of Ontario until May 2.
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April 30, 2026
The Ontario Court of Appeal has allowed a mine operator to pay disputed royalty funds into court, overturning a ruling that found no adverse claims to support interpleader relief amid a battle for control of the owner of the mining rights.
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April 30, 2026
Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a new measure called Team Canada Strong, a $6-billion nationwide effort to “recruit, train and hire 80,000 to 100,000 new Red Seal trades workers in the next five years.”
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April 30, 2026
Death, as it turns out, is not the end of the revenue stream. If anything, it may be the beginning of a particularly vigorous second act. Consider the perennial earners on Forbes’ list of highest-paid dead celebrities: Michael Jackson still moonwalks to the bank, Dr. Seuss continues to rhyme his way into licensing deals, Richard Wright and Syd Barrett echo through classic rock royalties, and the Notorious B.I.G. remains, well, notorious — and profitable. The moral? Mortality is inevitable; monetization, apparently, is optional but highly recommended.
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April 30, 2026
Increasingly, U.S. government entities appear to be utilizing technology to screen visa and other immigration benefit applicants. In some cases, this has become very public and transparent. For example, most people are aware that phones and other electronic devices can be screened when coming into the United States.
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April 30, 2026
Artificial intelligence (AI) and associated algorithms increasingly underpin routine business functions and often form part of a company’s product or service offering. In June 2025, Microsoft found that 71 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) surveyed were actively using AI or generative AI for core operations; among digital-native firms, the rate reached 90 per cent. Behind the scenes, AI models are responsible for making material business decisions, running equipment and offering services to third parties — including health care decisions, dynamic pricing, forecasting, supply chain optimization, customer chats and routing, applicant screening, identity validation, fraud detection and marketing campaigns.
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April 29, 2026
The Ontario Court of Appeal has granted a township’s motion for a stay of an order forcing it to issue a fill permit, ruling that denying the stay could render the municipality’s appeal moot.
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April 29, 2026
B.C.’s attorney general is calling on Ottawa to take immediate action to protect the public — and especially young people — from online harm. In a letter addressed to the federal ministers responsible for AI and Canadian Heritage, B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma says Ottawa should bring in online harms legislation that sets minimum safety standards for youth using the internet as soon as possible.
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April 29, 2026
On April 2, 2026, Bill 9, An Act respecting the reinforcement of laicity in Québec became law. While much of the public discussion has focused on the public sector implications, private sector employers should pay close attention: the legislation enacts a new Law promoting social cohesion and regulating accommodations for religious reasons (Loi favorisant le vivre-ensemble et encadrant les accommodements pour un motif religieux) that directly applies to them and fundamentally changes the rules governing religious accommodation in the workplace.