NS Supreme Court Finds Woman Who Fell and Broke Her Hip Contributorily Negligent
The Nova Scotia Supreme Court ruled in Jansen v. J.M. Reynolds Pharmacy Ltd. that the pharmacy was 75% liable for a 68‑year‑old woman’s hip fracture after she tripped on an unmarked lip of a planter bed at the pharmacy’s entrance, while the plaintiff was found 25% contributorily negligent. The court held the pharmacy breached its duty under the Occupiers’ Liability Act by failing to inspect and maintain the walkway, despite hiring a landscaping contractor. The decision emphasizes the foreseeability of hazards for older customers and the need for occupiers to implement reasonable inspection regimes.
McCarthy Tétrault Co-Develops Western Law Course on AI and Corporate Practice
McCarthy Tétrault LLP partnered with Western University’s Faculty of Law to create an upper‑year course titled “AI‑Enabled Corporate Practice: Business Law in Action,” slated for launch in the winter 2027 term. The curriculum will examine how artificial intelligence reshapes corporate...
Alberta Court of Appeal Sets Aside Robbery, Weapons Convictions for Man Who Died in Custody
The Alberta Court of Appeal set aside the robbery and weapons convictions of Wynden Bremner after discovering he died while his appeal was pending. The appellate court found the trial judge erred by dismissing alternative scenarios that could explain the...
Ontario’s Civil Rules at a Crossroads: Will Reform Make the Province a Leader?
Ontario is finalizing a sweeping overhaul of its Rules of Civil Procedure, a reform that could reshape the province’s civil justice landscape. The second phase of the civil rules review, chaired by Superior Court Justice Cary Boswell, opened a broad...
US Government to Set Conservators over Homeless Veterans
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Veterans Affairs (VA) have agreed to let VA attorneys serve as special assistant U.S. attorneys, giving them authority to initiate state‑court guardianship or conservatorship actions for homeless veterans who lack family decision‑makers. The...
Associate Judge Can Decide Whether to Set Aside Default Judgment: BC Court of Appeal
The British Columbia Court of Appeal overturned its 1991 Euro Ceramics ruling, holding that horizontal stare decisis does not bind it to that decision. It confirmed that associate judges have jurisdiction to decide whether to set aside a default judgment...
Federal Court of Appeal Affirms Denial of Insurance Benefits to Worker Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine
The Federal Court of Appeal affirmed the denial of Employment Insurance benefits to a British Columbia health worker who refused a COVID‑19 vaccine. The court held that the employee’s refusal constituted misconduct under the Employment Insurance Act, and it rejected...
Federal Government Pitches New Bill Increasing Law Enforcement’s Access to Information
The Canadian government introduced Bill C-22, an act aimed at enhancing law‑enforcement access to digital information. It creates two mechanisms – a confirmation of service demand and a subscriber information production order – to address Supreme Court rulings that require...
Federal Court of Appeal Rules in Hershey’s Favour in Trademark Dispute with PIM’s SWISSKISS
The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed Promotion in Motion’s appeal, upholding the earlier finding that its SWISSKISS marks are likely to confuse consumers with Hershey’s chocolate trademarks, particularly the KISS element. The court affirmed that the SWISS component is merely...
BC Employment Law Changes Aim to Add Early Dispute Resolution Opportunities
British Columbia announced amendments to the Employment Standards Act and the Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act aimed at streamlining dispute resolution. The changes let the Employment Standards Branch use Unclaimed BC to recover unpaid wages faster and require employers to deposit...
Canadian Lawyer Unveils Top Labour and Employment Law Boutiques for 2026–27
Canadian Lawyer released its 2026–27 ranking of top labour and employment law boutiques, highlighting firms that blend dispute management with strategic advisory. The list—Crawford Munroe Thomson, Harris & Company, and Sherrard Kuzz—earned recognition through 394 reader votes, peer surveys, and...
Top Labour and Employment Law Firms in Canada
Canadian Lawyer’s 2026‑27 survey highlighted the nation’s leading labour and employment boutiques, chosen by 394 votes and peer insight. Demand for labour‑law counsel rose 4% year‑over‑year, outpacing the broader market, as legislation tightens around gig‑workers, non‑compete clauses and expanded leave....
AI Could Help Increase Access to Legal Assistance, ABA President Says in Podcast Appearance
American Bar Association President Michelle Behnke told the Legal Services Corporation’s “Talk Justice” podcast that artificial intelligence can expand access to legal assistance, especially in underserved “legal deserts.” She stressed the ABA’s duty to educate lawyers on AI’s limitations, confidentiality...
Ex-Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund General Counsel Pam Hrick Joins Lerners Toronto
Former Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) general counsel Pam Hrick has become a partner at Lerners LLP’s Toronto office. She will work within the firm’s dispute resolution and advocacy practice as well as its personal injury group focused...
Rocky Kim on Building a Flexible, Province-Wide Real Estate and Lending Practice
Rocky Kim, founder of Rocky Kim Law Corporation, left a lengthy Vancouver commute for a Kelowna‑based, province‑wide practice built on flexible office space. He treats co‑working locations as permanent infrastructure, deploying mobile signing agents and short‑term offices to meet clients...
Civil Liberties Group to Intervene in Ontario Court of Appeal Case Involving Facial Recognition Tech
The Ontario Court of Appeal granted the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) permission to intervene in R. v. Kawall, a criminal appeal concerning the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) and a photograph taken in a public place. The trial...
BC Court of Appeal Grants Injured Parties’ Appeal in Hit-and-Run Accident Case
The British Columbia Court of Appeal reversed a lower‑court dismissal of a lawsuit against the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) stemming from a 2019 hit‑and‑run involving a stolen pickup. The appellate court held that the plaintiffs had satisfied the...
Indigenous Rights Lawyer Randall Kahgee Rejoins Pape Salter Teillet as Senior Counsel
Indigenous rights lawyer Randall Kahgee has rejoined Pape Salter Teillet LLP as senior counsel, strengthening the firm’s Indigenous law and energy practice. Kahgee brings over 25 years of experience, including nuclear safety regulation, land‑claim negotiations, and free, prior and informed...
From Stopgap to Status Quo: Why There’s No Going Back on PI’s Digital Shift
The pandemic‑driven move to video calls and e‑filing in Ontario’s civil courts has become permanent, with plaintiff‑side firms like Singer Kwinter now operating a virtual‑first model. Senior litigator Shane Katz estimates that about 98 percent of pre‑trial proceedings are conducted via Zoom, a...
Nippon Life Insurance Company of America Sues OpenAI for Practising Law without a License
Nippon Life Insurance Company of America has filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that its ChatGPT chatbot engaged in the unauthorized practice of law by helping a claimant reopen a settled disability case. The plaintiff claims the AI generated...
McMillan–Legora Leaders on Bringing Generative AI Into Daily Legal Practice
McMillan LLP has partnered with Legora to embed the firm’s generative‑AI platform across its Canadian practice. The rollout targets core legal work such as litigation, transactional drafting and contract analysis, with built‑in security and data‑privacy safeguards. Firm leaders discussed how...
Lack of Clarity on How Immigration Officials Use Automated Tools Leads Lawyers to Launch Monitoring Org
Immigration lawyers in Canada launched the nonprofit AIMICI after discovering that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been using undisclosed automated decision‑making tools such as the Chinook summarisation system, machine‑learning triage, facial‑recognition and generative AI. The group aims to...
Canadian Legal Information Institute Unveils AI-Powered Search Assistant CanLII Search+
The Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) has launched CanLII Search+, a generative‑AI‑powered search assistant that translates everyday language into structured legal queries. Built on Lexum’s infrastructure, the tool pulls answers exclusively from CanLII’s own database of case law, legislation and...
Legal Leaders Say Finding Talent with Right Skills Harder Today than It Was a Year Ago: Survey
A recent Robert Half survey of 138 Canadian legal leaders finds hiring skilled talent is harder than a year ago. Two‑thirds report shortages, especially in legal technology, operations, research, and data privacy. 58% say they must train existing staff, while...
Legal Aid Tool at UBC Helps Students Ask Better Questions, Rather than Giving Answers
University of British Columbia’s Peter A. Allard School of Law has created an AI‑driven legal aid tool that generates targeted questions instead of direct answers when students input case scenarios. The project, led by lecturers Jon Festinger and Nikos Harris,...
