The Complete Brief
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January 16, 2026
SCC’s packed winter session features momentous appeal on Charter s. 33 override provision
The Supreme Court of Canada began hearings in its very busy winter session this week, which features a potentially watershed constitutional appeal and the surprise announcement that Justice Sheila Martin, the court’s senior western judge, will retire next spring.
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January 16, 2026
Ford, Unifor warn China EV deal risks jobs as canola sector cheers
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and trade union Unifor are warning that Ottawa’s decision to open the Canadian market to Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) threatens domestic jobs, even as canola producers welcome tariff relief restoring access to the Chinese market.
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January 16, 2026
Court allows appeal in case of $3M penalty for undisclosed fee relating to mortgage
The Federal Court has allowed an appeal in a case where a financial institution was fined millions for two violations relating to fee disclosure in a mortgage agreement.
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January 16, 2026
N.B. opening anti-racism office, launching website
New Brunswick’s Liberal government is opening an anti-racism office to promote “equity and inclusion” in the province — and is now stating it has completed a little more than half the recommendations made in a commissioner’s report on the prevalence of systemic racism.
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January 16, 2026
Privacy commissioner investigates social media company due to reports of sexualized deepfake images
Canada’s privacy commissioner is expanding a current investigation into X Corp., the company that operates social media platform X, after reports that the platform’s chatbot is “being used to create explicit images of individuals without their consent.”
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January 16, 2026
Tribunal denies first public-interest Competition Act leave application against Google, Apple
The Competition Tribunal has denied the first application for leave to bring a private case under the Competition Act on public-interest grounds, finding the applicant failed to show a genuine public interest, sufficient evidentiary support, or the capacity to advance a complex competition case.
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January 16, 2026
Strategies for challenging CRA HST assessments based on incorrect builder classification
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) frequently audits real estate transactions for Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) compliance under the Excise Tax Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. E-15) (ETA), often classifying individuals as “builders” in cases involving property sales or renovations. This classification can lead to substantial assessments, penalties, and interest if deemed incorrect.
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January 16, 2026
Ex-partners in rhyme: Old MacDonald gets divorced
We all know Olde MacDonald had a farm. And we all know that on his farm he had an assortment of animals, including chickens, pigs and ducks. But unfortunately, Olde MacDonald did not have a happy marriage. His spouse, Edna, actually instituted a divorce action against him. I recently came across this information quite by chance after stumbling upon the case of MacDonald v. MacDonald, reported in the NLRs, to wit the Nursery Law Reports. I thought it would be useful to enlighten the curious and post the decision.
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January 16, 2026
Pallett Valo, City of Mississauga launch articling student exchange program
Pallett Valo LLP and the City of Mississauga have announced the launch of a new articling student secondment program, with students rotating between private practice and municipal legal work.
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January 16, 2026
Taskeen Nawab joins Aird & Berlis as associate
Taskeen Nawab, who was called to the Ontario bar in 2023, has joined Aird & Berlis as a member of the firm’s Indigenous practice and litigation groups.