Canada Revenue Agency Advises Law Firms of Changes to Taxpayer Information Request Process
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced that, effective April 15, 2026, it will no longer process one‑time taxpayer‑information requests submitted by lawyers or law firms. All requests for income statements, notices of assessment, and benefit details must now be filed by the taxpayer through the CRA’s online self‑service portal. The policy also applies to pending requests filed before the cutoff, redirecting them to the same digital channel. CRA says the change strengthens consent integrity, security and overall efficiency.
AI Tools Help Estates Lawyers, but Cause Headaches when Clients and Litigants Use Them
Estate lawyers are rapidly integrating enterprise AI tools to automate document review, flag missing records, and generate heat‑maps that prioritize critical medical and financial data. The technology enables faster strategy development and reduces filing delays, such as the eight‑to‑ten‑week setbacks...
Professor, Students Sue University of Alberta Board over Dismantling of Pro-Palestinian Encampment
Professor Michael Litwack and two master’s students have filed a lawsuit against the University of Alberta, alleging the school breached their Section 2 Charter rights by calling police to dismantle a peaceful pro‑Palestinian encampment in April 2024. The plaintiffs contend the university’s...
BC Supreme Court Stays Review of Legal Fees in Injury Suit Amid Pending Lawyer Negligence Claim
The British Columbia Supreme Court ordered a stay of the Legal Profession Act fee review in the personal‑injury case Simpson v. League and Williams Law Corp. until the plaintiff’s professional‑negligence lawsuit against his former lawyers is resolved. The injury claim...
Over 80 Percent of Alberta Lawyers Rate Their Substantive Law Competence Highly: Survey
A Law Society of Alberta survey of 265 legal professionals shows strong self‑assessment of substantive law competence, with 87% rating their knowledge of statutes and case law (“what”) and 83% rating their practical application (“how”) at the top of a...
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Commends Stay in Alberta Separation Referendum Process
The Alberta Court of King’s Bench issued a stay on the chief electoral officer’s decision to certify a second separation referendum petition, pending judicial review by Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and the Blackfoot Nations. The stay blocks any further procedural...
UK Bar Standards Board Requests Budget Boost in 2026-2027 Business Plan
The UK Bar Standards Board (BSB) has asked for an above‑inflation budget boost in its 2026‑27 business plan, raising total operating costs to nearly £24 million (about $30.5 million), a 12% rise from the current £21.1 million. The board expects to generate £19.7 million...
Verdon Armanda Gauthier Avocats Counsel Mireille Pélissier-Simard Joins Superior Court of Quebec
Mireille Pélissier‑Simard, a veteran family mediator from Verdon Armanda Gauthier, has been appointed to the Superior Court of Quebec, filling the vacancy left by Justice Daniel Dumais after his promotion to senior associate chief justice. Her career spans two decades of family and human‑rights...
Ontario Superior Court Rejects Public Policy Argument to Resist Enforcing Beijing Arbitration Award
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice granted recognition and enforcement of a 2019 CIETAC arbitration award in the Feicheng Mining Group v. Liu case. The respondent, a 50% shareholder of Dehua International Mines, argued duress and public‑policy violations after signing...
Insurance Co. Proved that Man Who Disappeared 18 Years Ago, Declared Dead Is Actually Alive: SCC
The Supreme Court of Canada unanimously ruled that the balance of probabilities is the proper standard to overturn a Quebec death declaration, allowing an insurance company to prove that a man missing for 18 years is still alive. The court...
BC Supreme Court Expands Virtual Hearings in Civil and Family Matters
The Supreme Court of British Columbia announced an expansion of virtual hearings for civil and family matters, making video attendance the default for case planning and judicial management conferences starting May 4, 2026. New practice directions (71‑74) also permit electronic filing...
Ontario Rules Changes: Practical Guidance From the Bench, Plaintiff and Defence Counsel
Ontario’s civil litigation framework is undergoing a sweeping overhaul, introducing a three‑track system that separates applications, summary matters, and trials. The reforms also target limitation periods, civil juries, discovery rules, and affidavit evidence, aiming for greater efficiency and proportionality. A...
Estate to Pay Parties’ Reasonable Indemnity Costs Amid Unusual Circumstances: BC Court of Appeal
The British Columbia Court of Appeal upheld the 1995 handwritten joint will made in Germany, ruling it valid and ordering Mr. Siebert’s estate to pay reasonable indemnity costs for both parties. The case pitted the joint will against a 2019...
Increasingly Complex Cases Contribute to Disruption at NL Provincial Court, Working Group Finds
The Provincial Court Working Group in Newfoundland and Labrador found that rising case complexity, expanding workloads and chronic staff shortages have disrupted court operations. The group delivered its findings and a set of recommendations to Justice Minister Helen Conway Ottenheimer, calling...
BC’s Health Professions and Occupations Act, Now in Effect, Boosts Transparency on Prior Discipline
The British Columbia Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) became law on April 1, 2026, overhauling the province’s health‑care regulatory framework. It requires all disciplinary actions and summary protection orders to appear on public registries, boosting transparency for patients and employers....
