Access to Justice
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July 24, 2025
Alberta expands family justice strategy to more municipalities
The Alberta government is expanding its family justice strategy — which aims to give Albertans a more streamlined and consistent process to access family justice services — to more municipalities in the province.
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July 24, 2025
Manitoba groups getting almost $1 million for accessibility projects
Manitoba is giving $820,000 to numerous community organizations in a bid to tear down barriers and improve accessibility for those with disabilities.
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July 24, 2025
Family separation consequences taken into consideration in sentencing
When a family relationship ends, it can be likened to the nursery rhyme “Humpty Dumpty.” When the details of the breakup are presented in court, a judge’s role is to try to put the pieces together again. That appears to be the task the Ontario Court of Appeal took on in R. v. D.L., 2025 ONCA 533. They became the king’s horses and king’s men.
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July 23, 2025
Nunavut Indigenous still hampered by ‘Eurocentric’ family law: lawyer
Indigenous people caught in Nunavut’s family law system continue to face child welfare challenges due to a conflict between their need for community-based solutions and the justice system’s “westernized” notions of what constitutes family. So says Ontario lawyer Andrea Clarke, who recently hosted an online lecture for the Law Society of Nunavut.
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July 22, 2025
No surprise B.C. government conceded defeat in solitary confinement class action
With the abolition of corporal punishment and the end of capital punishment in Canada, we have long maintained that the only penalty we impose is deprivation of liberty. However, while we collectively praised ourselves for humane treatment of prisoners, we often overlooked the torture caused by solitary confinement. We were depriving inmates of their freedom but also inflicting psychological torment.
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July 22, 2025
Who is responsible when a dog bites?
Everybody loves a dog — until it bites.
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July 21, 2025
Federal Court quashes thalidomide survivor support denial over lack of explanation, genetic testing
The Federal Court has set aside a denial of benefits under the Canadian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program (CTSSP), finding the decision lacked sufficient explanation and transparency given its significance to the applicant.
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July 21, 2025
Where law takes centre stage in musical theatre
Long a vivid platform for storytelling, musical theatre unravels complex, multifaceted human experiences. One of the fascinating dimensions explored over decades is the intersection of law and art — a realm where legal themes provide both conflict and resolution, hamper and catalyze dramatic evolution within narratives. Legal themes are woven into the fabric of musical theatre, offering unique insights into society, personal morality and the enduring struggle for justice.
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July 21, 2025
Supreme Court decision confirms rehabilitation cornerstone of youth sentencing
In a significant ruling on youth sentencing, the Supreme Court of Canada clarified the legal standards under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) in R. v. I.M., 2025 SCC 23, and R. v. S.B., 2025 SCC 24. The court ruled that youth are presumed to have diminished moral blameworthiness, and this presumption must be rebutted by the Crown beyond a reasonable doubt before an adult sentence can be imposed.
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July 18, 2025
Indigenous leaders express ongoing concerns after PM’s First Nations Major Projects Summit
Some Indigenous leaders remain skeptical of the federal government’s Building Canada Act following Prime Minister Mark Carney’s First Nations Major Projects Summit on July 17, saying the legislation fails to uphold the principle of free, prior and informed consent.