Pulse
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April 09, 2025
LSO’s appeal allowed, Divisional Court order quashed in November 2021 licensing exams breach
The Ontario Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal by the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) and quashed orders of the Divisional Court in connection with an information breach that compromised the integrity of the November 2021 online barrister and solicitor licensing exams.
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April 09, 2025
New $1 coin marks the creation of the Supreme Court of Canada 150 years ago
The Supreme Court of Canada marked a milestone birthday on April 8, 2025, 150 years after it came into existence on April 8, 1875, when the Supreme and Exchequer Courts Act received royal assent. The composition, powers and importance of the world’s only bilingual and bijural apex court have evolved considerably since the court first sat in 1876, after the original six-judge bench was appointed.
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April 09, 2025
Indigenous rights in Canada: So, so many questions
Canada stands at a pivotal moment in its relationship with Indigenous Peoples. Landmark court rulings and policy shifts have signalled a move toward stronger legal recognition of Indigenous land claims and self-governance. Yet, many argue that progress remains slow, uneven and often hindered by government inertia and corporate interests. The stark reality leaves the lingering question: is Canada truly committed to reconciliation, or are these developments in Indigenous jurisprudence merely incremental steps in a system that continues to resist meaningful change?
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April 09, 2025
Pro Bonzo
A brave articling student once quipped about me that “if you say ‘pro bono’ near Murray, you’d better be talking about Sonny & Cher.” Now that was a tad unfair. It was not that I was against our firm doing pro bono work, but I did want us to be doing it for people who could not afford a lawyer, as opposed to people who were just cheap and did not value what we did.
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April 09, 2025
Viability of private prosecutions in hate-motivated crimes
Section 504 of the Criminal Code permits anyone to initiate a criminal proceeding by laying an information in writing, under oath before a justice. In R. v. Mivasair, 2025 ONCA 179, the Ontario Court of Appeal reviews the law respecting private prosecutions including the role and duty of the Crown and the remedies available to an informant where the Crown has intervened and terminated a private prosecution.
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April 08, 2025
Caroline Healey takes helm at Ship and Rail Compensation Canada
The new administrator of Ship and Rail Compensation Canada, Caroline Healey, has taken office for a five-year term.
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April 08, 2025
The truth about burnout | Norm Bowley
“I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.” — Anna Quindlen
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April 08, 2025
University of Calgary names director of new Centre for Transformation
The University of Calgary has announced the appointment of Diana Lowe as the inaugural director of its newly established Centre for Transformation.
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April 08, 2025
State-ordered executions topped 1,500 globally: Amnesty International | Aubrey Harris
Canada long ago abolished the death penalty. However, many of us were abruptly reminded of our connection to the human rights of those in other countries when we learned last month of the execution of four Canadians in China this year.
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April 08, 2025
The sounds of court | Norman Douglas
I am retired and miss the sounds of the courtroom. I say “strangely” because until retirement, I never gave any thought to them.