Canadian Forum on Civil Justice (CFCJ / FCJC)

Calling on the feds to close the federal courts’ funding gap Growing delays could undermine the judiciary’s independence and effectiveness, erode public confidence

The CBA is sounding the alarm that Canada's creaking justice system is being starved of much-needed funds to fulfill its constitutional mandate. Learn more about why we're calling on the feds to close the federal courts' funding gap: https://bit.ly/3JraZ5m

Quebec tables draft constitution to affirm its 'distinct national character,' premier says | CBC News The constitution, filed at the National Assembly on Thursday and lambasted by opposition parties as a piece of political theatre filed without proper consultation, includes language asserting Quebec’s...

The Quebec government has deposited a draft of a proposed provincial constitution which the premier says will "affirm Quebec’s distinct national character": www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Chief justice says rule of law, judicial independence protect Canada from autocracy | CBC News While Canada is not a superpower in the traditional sense of the word, it's "certainly a democratic superpower," Chief Justice Richard Wagner said Monday at a ceremony to open the Supreme Court's judi...

At a ceremony to open the Supreme Court's judicial year, Chief Justice Richard Wagner told dignitaries gathered in the courtroom that the country's legal community is united in a deep conviction that the rule of law and judicial independence are not abstract concepts: www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Think you need a lawyer? Sask. law society allows non-lawyers to provide some services | CBC News Saskatchewan residents now have more options when seeking legal help after amendments to the Legal Profession Act came into effect this week, which allows non-lawyers to apply for limited licences to ...

Saskatchewan residents now have more options when seeking legal help. Amendments to the province's Legal Profession Act have come into force which allows non-lawyers to apply for limited licences to provide certain legal services: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

10 years after Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, advocates say more work needs to be done | CBC News Ry Moran helped gather statements from residential school survivors for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which released its final report and 94 calls to action in 2015.  And while progress has...

'You can change laws, but culture takes longer,' B.C. minister of Indigenous relations and reconciliation says. 10 years after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's report, more work needs to be done despite progress: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

More than 200 driving offence appeals dismissed in apparent ‘scheme’ to exploit Ontario’s demerit point system, judge says An Ontario court has dismissed nearly 250 appeals of driving offence convictions after a judge determined they were part of a paralegal’s 'scheme' to undermine the province’s demerit point system in a...

An Ontario court has dismissed nearly 250 appeals of driving offence convictions after a judge determined they were part of a paralegal’s “scheme” to undermine the province’s demerit point system: www.cp24.com/local/toront...

Minister dismisses concerns over discrimination as Alberta's citizenship marker on IDs draws skepticism | CBC News The Alberta government's plan to add Canadian citizenship markers to provincial driver's licences has been met with skepticism by some legal and immigration experts, who worry the measure is a "dispro...

The Alberta government's plan to add Canadian citizenship markers to provincial driver's licences has been met with skepticism by some legal and immigration experts, who worry the measure is a "disproportionate" solution that the province might have a hard time justifying: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

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Quebec government to legislate ban on public prayers A bill by François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec government is proposing to ban public prayers.

Quebec's government is planning to ban public prayers. The ban on public prayers is expected to be one aspect of a bill whose broader objective is to strengthen secularism in Quebec: www.cp24.com/news/canada/...

RCMP stores explicit media flagged as child porn — even if it's not, Quebec court case reveals | CBC News Every year, the RCMP receives tens of thousands of photos and videos of suspected child pornography from tech giants like Google or Meta, all per Canada’s mandatory reporting laws.

Every year, the RCMP receives tens of thousands of photos and videos of suspected child pornography from tech giants, all per Canada's mandatory reporting laws. But even though the majority of these images are not deemed harmful, the RCMP plans to store them for 100 years: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

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 is hurting their advocacy and restricting access to justice: www.law360.ca/ca/articles/...

OCA set to consider continued anonymity request by lawyer who sexually abused children The LSO is challenging the motion and the lawyer's right to practise law

Ontario's Court of Appeal will consider a motion by a lawyer who wants to remain anonymous in his dispute with the Law Society of Ontario, which argues that the public – and potential clients – have the right to know that he sexually abused multiple children: www.lawtimesnews.com/resources/pr...

Quebec says Bill 21 opponents are trying to overturn established law Quebec has filed 100 pages of legal arguments to the Supreme Court ahead of a hearing in which it will defend Bill 21 in court for a third time

The Quebec government says legal opponents challenging its secularism law at the Supreme Court of Canada are merely rehashing old, failed arguments in an effort to overturn established legal precedent: www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Appeal court rules litigation of Sask. pronoun policy can continue | CBC News The decision hinged on whether the court has jurisdiction to issue a declaration that a law violates sections of the Charter despite the invocation of the notwithstanding clause.

Saskatchewan's Court of Appeal has ruled a challenge to the province's pronoun law can continue: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Immigration lawyers say rising number of CSIS security screenings causing delays OTTAWA - The Canadian Security Intelligence Service says it's dealing with a growing number of immigration security screening requests — and immigration lawyers say their clients are coping with long

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service says it's dealing with a growing number of immigration security screening requests — and immigration lawyers say their clients are coping with long delays as a result: www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/national/imm...

'Can I see some ID?' As online age verification spreads, so do privacy concerns | CBC News The U.K.'s Online Safety Act took effect last Friday, putting age gates on content deemed unsuitable for minors, including pornography and content about suicide and self harm. While some sites have pu...

Online age verification systems are sweeping the internet as jurisdictions introduce laws to prevent children from accessing certain content, and a wave of privacy concerns has followed: www.cbc.ca/news/online-...

Canadians' health data at risk of being handed over to U.S. authorities, experts warn | CBC News Canadians' electronic health records need more protections to prevent foreign entities from accessing patient data, according to commentary in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Canadians' electronic health records need more protections to prevent foreign entities from accessing patient data, according to commentary in the Canadian Medical Association Journal: www.cbc.ca/news/health/...

Potential Alberta separation referendum question referred to judge for approval Question would seek a yes or no answer to whether people agree with Alberta becoming a sovereign country

A potential referendum question on Alberta separating from Canada has been referred to a judge for confirmation that the question doesn’t violate the Constitution: www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber...

Sask. judge stays immigration fraud convictions after 'systemic collapse' during border agency investigation | CBC News Gurpreet Singh was found guilty of 10 charges, all of which were related to his preparation of false letters of employment. Those charges have now been stayed because a CBSA agent working on Singh's c...

A man found guilty for his role in an immigration fraud scheme has had the charges stayed because a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) agent working on the case was accused of intimidating witnesses, then allowed to investigate and clear himself: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Quebec anti-abortion group fails to reverse decision banning protests in front of clinics | CBC News Protesters will have to remain 50 metres away from abortion clinics in Quebec. On Monday, a Quebec Superior Court judge upheld the 2016 law, citing the need for the boundary.

An anti-abortion group challenged a 2016 law requiring a buffer zone around abortion clinics arguing that it restricts free speech. A recent Quebec Superior Court decision found that the law does in fact limit freedom of speech, but that limitation is reasonable: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Opinion: Restorative justice could have offered a better path for everyone involved in the Hockey Canada trial Despite myths that restorative justice is about leniency for the accused, Canada is well placed to invest in a rigorous process that offers a path to accountability and meaningful change

This Globe and Mail opinion piece argues that restorative justice could have offered a better path for everyone involved in the Hockey Canada trial: www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...

Debate on forced mental health treatment continues as one woman's costs top $800K | CBC News A CBC News analysis found one woman's ongoing journey through the mental health and justice systems has cost more than $800,000 since 2018. In Ontario, two main camps are lobbying for change — each wi...

In the fight to better help people with severe and persistent mental illness in Ontario — which can sometimes result in costly detention in jails and hospitals — two opposing camps are lobbying the Ministry of Health in very different directions: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Settlement proposed in class-action lawsuit over B.C. solitary confinement | CBC News A proposed settlement has been reached in a class-action lawsuit that alleges the B.C. government improperly subjected prisoners to solitary confinement, "causing emotional, physical, and psychologica...

A proposed settlement of up to $60 million has been reached in a class-action lawsuit related to the use of solitary confinement in B.C. correctional facilities: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Ontario wants to make landlords liable for preventing drug activity on their property | CBC News Supportive housing providers say a new Ontario law that would make landlords responsible for preventing certain kinds of drug-related activity in their units could threaten their ability to house thos...

Ontario's proposed landlord drug liability law would make landlords responsible for preventing drug activity in units: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

The Government of Canada is investing in the expansion of Drug Treatment Courts in Saskatchewan: www.newswire.ca/news-release...

New rules allowing Quebec restaurants to charge for no-shows come into effect MONTREAL - Quebec restaurant owners can now charge a fee to people who make a reservation but don't show up.

Quebec restaurant owners can now charge a fee to people who make a reservation but don't show up. Under new rules in effect today, restaurants can charge up to $10 for each no-show: www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/business/new...

9 First Nations in Ontario launch constitutional challenge against laws allowing development fast-tracking | CBC News Nine First Nations in Ontario are asking for a court-ordered injunction that would prevent the federal and provincial governments from using newly passed laws to fast-track infrastructure projects.

Nine First Nations in Ontario are seeking a court-ordered injunction that would prevent the federal and provincial governments from using newly passed laws to fast-track infrastructure projects: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Quebec urged to reconsider $30M fine against college over English-language enrolment MONTREAL - The Quebec government is being urged to show leniency toward a Montreal college facing a $30-million fine for enrolling too many students in its English-language programs.

Quebec's government is being urged to show leniency toward a Montreal college facing a $30-million fine for enrolling too many students in its English-language programs. The 2022 Quebec language law limits enrollment in English-language programs: www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/que...

Family lawyer says he's seeing a new trend of the 'manosphere' leading to divorce | CBC News Scott Byers has been practising family law for 10 years, and says he has noticed a new trend since the pandemic of women wanting to leave their partners due to what he describes as the radicalizing ef...

A family lawyer in Swift Current, Sask., says he and his colleagues are seeing a growing number of marriages break up over what he describes as 'radicalization,' potentially due in part to online misogyny feeding to a culture of coercion and abuse: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Lawsuits over dupes are popping up in courts. But can dupes be illegal? | CBC News Shoppers are happy to buy products that look just like high-end items, but are priced for way less. But experts say that depending on how similar they are to the original, and what rights the business...

Lawsuits over dupes are popping up in courts. But depending on how similar the items are, and the rights a company holds, dupes may or may not cross legal lines: www.cbc.ca/news/busines...