Family
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August 20, 2025
Reasons underlying a court order are an important interpretive tool
It is trite law that an appeal is from an order made by a lower court; however, in Der v. Hlookoff, 2025 BCCA 193, the British Columbia Court of Appeal considered the role of reasons for judgment in interpreting a court order.
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August 20, 2025
Saskatchewan court: ‘Notwithstanding’ clause doesn’t oust judicial review jurisdiction
Next year, the Supreme Court of Canada will finally determine the proper interpretation of s. 33, also known as the “notwithstanding” clause, of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter). More recently, the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan (SKCA) released a significant decision also interpreting s. 33.
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August 19, 2025
Ministers from territories plan for gender equality
Ministers from Canada’s northern territories are working to develop a “memorandum of understanding” in formalizing shared priorities on gender equity.
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August 19, 2025
Alberta investing $4M to help prevent family violence provincewide
Alberta has announced a multimillion-dollar investment in community-based projects aimed at preventing family violence across the province.
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August 15, 2025
The Friendly Bar Series, No. 8: Sweating for justice
At The Friendly Bar, we share more than case law. We exchange courtroom war stories, debate best practices and, during a heat wave, map out which of us has a dog pool deep enough to lie face-down in.
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August 15, 2025
Murder trial jury instructions inadequate, new trial ordered
It was meant to be a coworkers’ celebration of life for a Boston Pizza employee who had died in 2018. That celebration turned tragic when three people were stabbed, one of whom died.
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August 14, 2025
DEI dilemma: U.S. state bars grapple with DEI programs, language amid legal threats
State bar leaders across the U.S. are wrestling with whether to stand firm on their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs or quietly rework programs and language as they face rising political pressure and potential legal challenges.
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August 14, 2025
The ‘best interests test’ and cultural significance in Indigenous communities
As I entered the courtroom in Iqaluit, I was immersed in a world of child welfare, where the glaring significance of rich culture and heritage formed part of the backdrop and undertone in cases where it should be front and centre.
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August 14, 2025
Jury instruction missteps lead to retrial in Ontario murder case
John Wayne Pierre and Lesley Watterworth had a volatile, drug-fuelled relationship, made worse by Pierre’s jealousy over her former boyfriend. After leaving a rehab program early in 2016, Pierre resumed drug use with her.
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August 14, 2025
Bar ramps up campaign to end ‘Zoom-only’ policy & get intervener counsel back into SCC’s courtroom
Prominent intervener groups are telling the Supreme Court of Canada that its 2022 practice direction confining their counsel to Zoom and barring intervener lawyers from making submissions in person before the judges is hurting their advocacy and restricting access to justice for public interest groups. However, the top court says it’s sticking with its current policy since “virtual appearances have proven to be an effective means of supporting equal access.”