Constitutional
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October 22, 2025
Ontario Appeal Court overturns ruling on unreasonable search or seizure violation
Ontario’s top court has overturned a ruling that said a man’s constitutional rights had been violated during the execution of a search warrant. The situation comes about due to a tragic event — the killing of the accused’s fiancée in what police described as a targeted shooting. A confidential informant told police that the accused, Ali Bhatti, knew who was behind the murder and was planning to take matters into his own hands.
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October 22, 2025
Quebec’s divisive constitutional bill draws praise from proponents and scorn from critics
The Quebec government has tabled an extremely broad and contentious bill that would enshrine a provincial constitution and introduce sweeping legislative changes. Constitutional law experts say the legislation would dramatically change the province’s legal landscape and curb countervailing oversight on multiple fronts.
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October 21, 2025
B.C. Supreme Court strikes sweeping COVID class action as abuse of process
The B.C. Supreme Court has struck a proposed class action against provincial COVID-19 health measures in B.C., calling it “the largest and most complex” proposed class proceeding in Canadian legal history and finding the claim to be an abuse of process that disclosed no cause of action.
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October 20, 2025
Staying of Nygard charges in Manitoba sends message to police
A Manitoba court’s recent staying of sex-crime charges against a former fashion mogul sends a “clear message” to police to maintain proper records of investigations into serious offences, says a law professor.
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October 17, 2025
Manitoba proposes law to automatically have court weigh in on use of notwithstanding clause
Manitoba has introduced legislation which would make it so the provincial government’s use of the notwithstanding clause would automatically be put before a court to determine whether it results in a violation of people’s rights.
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October 14, 2025
Federal Court: Litigation use of ex-employee’s social media post not barred by PIPEDA
The Federal Court has largely dismissed a privacy application about an employer’s counsel retaining a former employee’s social-media posts for a defamation suit, finding that such retention is permitted under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
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October 14, 2025
Alberta lawyer appeals decision on law society programs, policies
An Alberta lawyer who said the provincial law society violated his constitutional rights by bringing in mandatory cultural competency training and changes to its code of conduct is appealing a recent court ruling that turned away his attempt to get a judicial review of the regulator’s moves.
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October 09, 2025
Manitoba premier digs in on legislature remarks on bail system
Despite a scolding from two prominent lawyers’ groups, Manitoba’s premier is standing by remarks he made in the legislature about an ongoing court case as part of his criticism of the bail system.
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October 06, 2025
Privacy commissioner calls for more oversight of cabinet powers under new national security bill
Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne warned MPs that proposed federal legislation giving cabinet ministers power to issue secret orders to obtain Canadians’ personal information must be constrained by clear tests of necessity, proportionality and oversight.
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October 02, 2025
Alberta premier pushes legal challenges to federal policies in justice ministry mandate letter
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has given marching orders to her justice minister on the issues she expects him to tackle during the upcoming legislative session. At the top of the list is using “every legal means possible” to overturn or overhaul a number of federal initiatives, such as the Impact Assessment Act, the oil and gas emissions cap and Ottawa’s clean energy regulations.