Criminal
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March 04, 2025
SENTENCING - Manslaughter - Particular sanctions - Mitigating factors - Charter, benefit of lesser punishment
Appeal by Pietz against his conviction for manslaughter and appeal from sentence. Pietz was arrested and detained on suspicion of killing and disposing of the victim's body near Arborg, Manitoba.
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March 03, 2025
NWT law society rolls out professional conduct ‘guidelines’ for lawyers' use of generative AI
The Law Society of the Northwest Territories has issued, for the first time, “Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI in the Practice of Law,” following a similar move by several Canadian legal regulators that have provided AI-specific guidance for lawyers’ professional conduct and practice over the past year.
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March 03, 2025
Feds launch Joint Operational Intelligence Cell to further strengthen border protection
The federal government has announced its launch of the Joint Operational Intelligence Cell (JOIC), which brings together Canadian security departments, agencies and law enforcement to enhance border protection.
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March 03, 2025
Ottawa ‘formalizes’ additional controls on precursor chemicals for manufacturing fentanyl
The federal government says it has “formalized” additional controls for three fentanyl precursor chemicals and for the drug carisoprodol — a skeletal muscle relaxant that can be addictive.
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March 03, 2025
B.C. appeal decision in defamation case sends ‘very ominous, chilling message,’ lawyer says
British Columbia’s top court has ruled against a former school board trustee who made incendiary comments online about one of his colleagues. But his lawyer is saying the decision sets a “remarkably low bar” for a plaintiff to advance a libel claim in the future.
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March 03, 2025
Should the criminal standard replace the civil standard in child welfare cases? | Hodine Williams
Child welfare cases in Canada are among the most emotionally charged and legally complex areas of law, as they involve the state’s authority to intervene in family life to protect children from harm. Children’s Aid Societies (CAS) are empowered to remove children from their parents when there is evidence of abuse or neglect, but the current legal standard used in these cases — the civil standard of proof, or the “balance of probabilities”— has come under scrutiny.
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March 03, 2025
Reframing legal technology: From institutional efficiency to user-centric access to justice
Legal practitioners and courts have long anticipated the transformative potential of technology in law. From digitized case management systems to artificial intelligence-driven legal research tools, technological advancements promised efficiency, accessibility, and, ultimately, greater and more meaningful access to justice. However, despite significant investment and integration of digital tools, legal professionals and courts increasingly express skepticism about the tangible benefits of legal technology for justice and access to it.
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February 28, 2025
FINTRAC publishes new guidance and report form for terrorist-affiliated and sanctioned property
The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) has published new guidance and a new report form for businesses that are subject to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act to report terrorist and sanctioned property-related information.
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February 28, 2025
Nova Scotia court approves $2.1 million settlement in Dell data breach class action
A Halifax law firm has announced court approval of a $2.1 million settlement in a class action lawsuit against computer giant Dell Canada and parent Dell USA over a 2018 data breach.
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February 28, 2025
Nova Scotia planning update of human rights commission
Nova Scotia’s government is planning an upgrade of the province’s human rights commission in a bid to make it more accessible and “responsive” to the public.