The Complete Brief
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April 22, 2026
When courts turn back the clock: Rethinking the return to in-person family hearings
A recent article by Steve Benmor (The Zoom paradox: When a judge’s words and his court’s actions collide) draws attention to an emerging inconsistency within Ontario’s family justice system — one that warrants closer examination.
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April 22, 2026
Relocation law is stacked against mothers — Bill C-223 can fix it
Lucy is a 10-year-old child who spends most of her time in the care of her mother but also spends significant time with her father. Lucy’s mother just got a job across the province and asks the court to authorize the relocation of the child. The father objects.
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April 22, 2026
Nova Scotia failed to consider impact of 2025 woods ban on rights: lawyer
People’s constitutional rights “cannot be ignored by government decision-makers — period,” says the lawyer of a man ticketed during Nova Scotia’s controversial woods ban. That man, Jeffrey Evely, was the face of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia’s April 17 ruling in Evely v. Nova Scotia (Minister of Natural Resources), 2026 NSSC 118, in which it was found the province failed to consider people’s Charter-protected mobility rights when it prohibited them from entering forested areas for a period last summer.
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April 22, 2026
What can happen when flawed young lawyers meet AI
Vicky was my associate many years ago. She was bright and ambitious. She wanted to learn and she worked hard. If you taught Vicky how to do something once, she would get it right every time after that. But Vicky had a flaw.
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April 22, 2026
Viable claim in civil conspiracy requires more than a franchise relationship
Ontario appellate courts continue to hold that civil conspiracy claims cannot be used to circumvent corporate separateness. In Cervantes v. Pizza Nova Take Out Ltd., 2026 ONSC 713 (Cervantes), the Ontario Divisional Court reaffirmed that an agreement is the core element of a civil conspiracy claim.
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April 22, 2026
CRIMINAL CODE OFFENCES - Offences against person and reputation - Homicide - Second-degree murder
Appeal by George from her conviction for second-degree murder arising from the stabbing death of her uncle, Beaver. The Crown’s case at trial was that George organized a home invasion intending that Beaver be killed, with her boyfriend, Cavanagh, as the stabber.
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April 22, 2026
‘Pig butchering’ scams leave Canadian victims with few recovery options
A Canadian who wires six figures to what appears to be a legitimate investment platform — only to discover it is fictitious — faces a stark reality. The funds are gone, and the perpetrators are often unidentified.
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April 21, 2026
Ottawa introduces bill to establish sovereign space launch capabilities
The federal government introduced the Canadian Space Launch Act in Parliament on April 21, aiming to give Canada sovereign space launch capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign partners.
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April 21, 2026
Feds establish Domestic Trade Commissioners Network to promote internal trade
On April 21, the federal government launched the Domestic Trade Commissioners Network, which involves “representatives from each province, territory, and federal Regional Development Agency (RDA) working in collaboration.”
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April 21, 2026
B.C. premier backs off plan to revise Indigenous rights law
B.C. Premier David Eby has walked back his pledge to change the province’s landmark Indigenous relations law during the current legislative session. In a statement issued alongside B.C.’s First Nations Leadership Council, Eby said the government will not be introducing legislation to suspend or amend the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) during the spring session — something Eby had previously said was “non-negotiable.”