Access to Justice
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January 22, 2026
New group to take on animal welfare in Saskatchewan
The job of protecting animals in Saskatchewan is changing hands.
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January 22, 2026
Student paper snapshots in animal law
For the past 10 years, I have enjoyed teaching animal law as an adjunct professor at UBC’s Peter A. Allard School of Law in Vancouver. This year, I am showcasing snapshots from some of the thought-provoking research papers my students have produced.
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January 22, 2026
B.C. Court of Appeal weighs in on Port Coquitlam neighbour dispute
“Good fences make good neighbours” is the oft-quoted line from Robert Frost’s poem Mending Wall. It suggests that clear boundaries and respect for personal space foster better relationships. Even with walls and fences, relationships sometimes sour.
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January 21, 2026
Manitoba launches new francophone family law service hub
In its latest bid to increase access to justice for French-speaking residents, Manitoba’s government has launched a francophone service hub for those seeking help with family law matters in that language.
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January 21, 2026
More on civil conduct during mediation, arbitration
Alternate dispute resolution continues to grow in popularity in family law matters. The reasons are well known: avoiding delay, choosing your “judge,” and the avoidance of multiple expensive procedures within the court system that may not lead to resolution. However, with this trend comes a number of real concerns.
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January 21, 2026
Alberta Court of Appeal considers jump principle in determining appropriate sentence
Before dawn on a winter morning in Calgary, a brief encounter in a deserted school parking lot set in motion a chain of events that would carry a 20-year-old man from street-level allegations to years of appellate scrutiny and a penitentiary sentence measured in years.
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January 21, 2026
Clocks, time and the humiliations of criminal justice
When you are arrested and placed in a police cell, the police take your watch along with other personal possessions such as your wallet and phone — even your wedding ring. You soon realize there are no clocks in or visible from the cells, and no windows, so you have no idea what time it is.
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January 20, 2026
Manitoba launches security fund for cultural groups, places of worship
Following a handful of recent hate-related incidents, Manitoba’s government is launching a $1-million fund for cultural groups and places of worship to enhance safety and security.
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January 19, 2026
B.C. Access to Justice Week looking at ‘opportunities to transform what justice looks like’
Legal advocates in British Columbia are gearing up for Access to Justice Week, which will run from Feb. 2 to 6.
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January 19, 2026
B.C. Appeal Court judge’s bail decision conforms to law, not public pressure
A recent CBC News report stated that overcrowding at the Niagara Detention Centre in Thorold, Ont., reached its highest level since 2019 in the first half of 2025. Its occupancy rate stands at 136 per cent. The report further states that, in 2024, 89 per cent of the jail’s population were awaiting trial and presumed innocent. It also quotes University of Ottawa criminology professor Justin Piché as saying, “Several of those folks will exit prison, never having been convicted of anything.”