The Complete Brief
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January 06, 2026
The problems of Nazi-looted possessions sold at auctions
Just as you are enjoying that beautiful impressionist painting on your wall and sitting comfortably on that Louis XV chaise longue, a letter arrives from a well-known auction house informing you that both the painting and the chaise longue may have been looted during the Second World War. How is that possible? You bought both objects at that same impeccable auction house, which is now informing you that their provenance research was not watertight after all.
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January 06, 2026
‘Every stone must now be overturned to find this man some hope’: Anita Szigeti to Court of Appeal
An important case was argued before the Ontario Court of Appeal on Jan. 5, 2026. The appellant, Camelott Hamblett, is a middle-aged Black man who has spent half his life locked in a small cell in a maximum-security psychiatric facility. He has had treatment-resistant schizophrenia since his teens and continues to experience highly distressing hallucinations.
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January 06, 2026
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT - Building regulations - Building permits -Restrictive covenants
Appeal by City of Kelowna from trial decision granting Watermark Developments Ltd.’s application to cancel restrictive covenants. In 2009, Kelowna approved the rezoning and subdivision of Watermark Developments Ltd.’s property on the condition that two restrictive no-build covenants be registered to protect a corridor envisioned as a future roadway linking Kelowna International Airport and UBC’s Okanagan campus as an alternative to the congested Highway 97.
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January 05, 2026
Ontario ombud resolves 30,000 public complaints in 10 years
Ombudsman Ontario is marking 10 years of independent municipal oversight, stating that since 2016, the ombudsperson has worked with local officials to resolve more than 30,000 public complaints and inquiries and found systemic solutions to improve governance.
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January 05, 2026
Miller Thomson promotes 8 lawyers to partnership
Miller Thomson LLP has admitted eight lawyers to the firm’s partnership, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
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January 05, 2026
Ontario’s new rules, regulations run from labour and employment to road safety
New year, new rules. A number of new regulations and legislative initiatives have now come into effect after the clock ticked over into 2026, addressing a wide swath of areas from labour market barriers to road safety.
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January 05, 2026
Ontario Superior Court certifies securities class action against Canopy Growth
The Ontario Superior Court has certified a securities class action against cannabis company Canopy Growth over allegations that misrepresentations about its financial performance and internal controls caused investor losses.
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January 05, 2026
Court allows 5 interveners for Toronto bike lane Charter appeal
In a case concerning the unconstitutionality of removing bike lanes in Toronto, the Ontario Court of Appeal has allowed five organizations to act as interveners in an upcoming appeal by Ontario to be heard later this month.
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January 05, 2026
Men conscripted into Iran’s Revolutionary Guards not automatically terrorists
Sometimes good intentions can lead to disastrous results. This is certainly true in the case of the decision of the Liberal government to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRG) as a terrorist organization.
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January 05, 2026
How insurers can jeopardize subrogation rights: Lessons from Millennium Insurance v. Kapeluck
Subrogation remains a powerful recovery tool for insurers, but its availability depends not only on policy wording but also on timely action. The recent decision of the Alberta Court of Appeal in Millennium Insurance Corporation v. Kapeluck, 2025 ABCA 82 (Kapeluck) illustrates how those rights can easily be lost and offers valuable guidance for industry participants.