Other Areas of Practice
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May 28, 2025
A dance of justice and order: Legal themes in ballet
Ballet is often celebrated for its ethereal beauty, technical precision and emotionally charged storytelling. Yet, hidden beneath the graceful movements and elaborate sets are recurring themes that mirror society’s deeper structures, including the realms of law, order and justice. Legal themes woven into some of the most enduring ballets examine how narratives of retribution, social contracts and class divisions provide a compelling framework for dance.
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May 28, 2025
Pitfalls in tribunal adjudication of mental health matters: Issues identified by reviewing courts
This past month, two different reviewing courts have provided very similar guidance to two different mental health tribunals in Ontario. On April 24, 2025, the Court of Appeal for Ontario found that Ernest Clayton’s fitness review hearing before the Ontario Review Board constituted a miscarriage of justice and must be reconsidered afresh. Similarly, on May 21, 2025, the Superior Court of Justice returned a review of Arlene Hastick’s Community Treatment Order to the Consent and Capacity Board for re-hearing on the basis that she was denied procedural fairness.
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May 28, 2025
What ‘agreed statement of facts’ really means
The “facts” aren’t always so obvious. More than 90 per cent of criminal convictions in Canada are not the result of a trial, but of a guilty plea. People plead guilty for many reasons, only one of which is that they are actually guilty. But that’s another matter.
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May 27, 2025
Class action certified against Bayer for alleged non-disclosure of contraceptive migration risk
The Alberta Court of King’s Bench has certified a class action against Bayer Inc. over allegations the pharmaceutical giant failed to disclose the migration risk of its Mirena intrauterine contraceptive device.
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May 26, 2025
Federal Court rejects constitutional challenge to $20K damages cap in federal human rights cases
The Federal Court has dismissed a constitutional challenge to the $20,000 cap on pain and suffering damages in federal human rights cases, finding the cap does not violate the Charter’s s. 15(1) equality rights.
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May 26, 2025
Appeal dismissed in case where holdback funds were to be paid by developer
In a decision with five judges on the panel, the British Columbia Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal regarding a builders lien declaration and order related to holdback funds to be paid by the appellant.
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May 23, 2025
Court allows appeal to change convenient forum from B.C. to Alberta
The British Columbia Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal challenging the jurisdiction of B.C. in a case where the respondent engineering company’s principal brought an action in Alberta despite the company being successful on a forum selection application for B.C.
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May 23, 2025
The Friday Brief: Editor-In-Chief’s must-read items from this week
Here are my picks for the top stories we published this week.
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May 23, 2025
Manitoba introduces legislation to decrease interprovincial trade barriers
The Manitoba government has brought in new legislation to break down interprovincial trade barriers and help grow the province’s economy, as announced on May 22 by Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation Minister Jamie Moses.
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May 22, 2025
Court dismisses appeals regarding derivative action in case of insolvent company
The B.C. Court of Appeal has dismissed two appeals relating to the dissolving of a company importing goods from Asia, arising from a shareholder’s leave application to bring a derivative action.