The Complete Brief
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March 21, 2025
Civil liberties groups say proposed B.C. tariff law ‘power grab’ that raises ‘spectre of monarchy’
A number of civil liberties organizations are raising alarm bells over B.C.’s recently-proposed legislation to deal with the tariff threat coming from the United States, saying it will give the province extraordinary powers to override current laws while raising the spectre of a 16th-century English king famous for his relationships with his six wives.
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March 21, 2025
Two new partners at Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson
Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson (NST) has added Emily Hansen and James Parker as partners at its British Columbia-based firm.
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March 21, 2025
Quebec legislative proposal to create Unified Family Tribunal panned by experts
In its latest effort to revamp family law, Quebec introduced a bill that lays the groundwork to establish a unified family court to curb delays, simplify proceedings, and handle the majority of family legal proceedings, with an eye towards eventually stripping Superior Court of family matters, an undertaking family law experts have panned as ill-conceived and riddled with shortcomings as it is currently drafted.
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March 21, 2025
Ontario law society treasurer pledges change in light of CEO pay controversy
The treasurer of Ontario’s law society has introduced an action plan to reform governance and administrative processes surrounding executive compensation after a controversy over a salary increase for its former CEO.
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March 21, 2025
Saskatchewan investing in community safety via policing, staffing, border security
As part of its 2025-26 budget, Saskatchewan is investing more than $800 million in the areas of policing, prisons, public safety and border security. According to a March 19 news release, the investment will include $679.4 million for the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety; $118.9 million for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA); and $8.8 million for the Saskatchewan Firearms Office (SFO).
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March 21, 2025
Recipients announced for 2025 Law Society on Ontario Awards
Eleven members of Ontario’s legal profession will be recognized for their achievements and contributions at this year’s Law Society Awards ceremony, to be held on May 28, 2025. Additionally, two individuals will receive the Human Rights Award for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of human rights.
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March 21, 2025
Charter breach, conditional sentence order overturned by British Columbia Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal for British Columbia has overturned a lower court decision mitigating the prison sentence of a man found guilty of two counts of possession of a loaded shotgun, and one count of possession in contravention of a firearm’s prohibition. The unanimous decision, in R. v. Jaramillo, 2025 BCCA 77, announced March 12, found the trial judge erred in law and principle in applying s. 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and also incorrectly applied the law in imposing a conditional sentence order (CSO).
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March 21, 2025
The Vento decision and the future of bias standards in international arbitration
On Jan. 30, 2025 in Law360 Canada, I wrote regarding the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in Aroma Franchise Co. v. Aroma Espresso Bar Canada Inc., 2024 ONCA 839 (Aroma):
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March 21, 2025
Can a dog cause a Charter breach?
The use of a police service dog during an arrest became a key concern in a recent British Columbia appeal. Preston Hale Jaramillo pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a loaded handgun in contravention of a firearms prohibition.
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March 20, 2025
Digital democratic commons: Evolution of public discourse in networked age | Murray Simser
The conceptual underpinnings of democratic governance have long incorporated the metaphor of the “commons” as essential civic space. From the Athenian agora to colonial town squares, democracies have required physical spaces where citizens gather, deliberate and exercise collective agency. As society transitions deeper into digital interaction, we face a profound question: how can we translate these democratic functions into virtual domains without surrendering them to extractive commercial interests?