Wills, Trusts & Estates
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July 11, 2024
Unsolved murder: Perfect crime against perfect trustee
In the evening hours of April 1, 1991, on what otherwise may have been a relatively unassuming day in Düsseldorf, Germany, Detlev Karsten Rohwedder was murdered at his home in cold blood. The case remains unsolved and arguably ranks as Germany’s own version of the JFK assassination — a prominent member of the government establishment gone far too soon with seemingly no one to hold accountable.
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July 10, 2024
Review launched into CRA’s ‘last minute’ change of 2023 bare trust filing requirements
The taxpayers’ ombudsperson, François Boileau, has launched a systemic examination into whether the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) “respected taxpayers’ rights in its administration of bare trust filing requirements for the 2023 tax year.”
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July 09, 2024
Muslim charity’s Charter case against CRA stalls again in wake of Ontario Court of Appeal ruling
A lawsuit launched by the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) against the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) claiming that an extensive CRA audit violated the religious nonprofit’s Charter rights will remain on hold following a decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal.
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July 09, 2024
The problems of dying intestate with minor children
A person who dies “intestate” is one who dies without leaving a valid will. A valid will provides for who should administer the estate, who should benefit from the estate and the terms on which the beneficiaries inherit. If you die without a will in place, your estate will be governed by intestacy laws, which may not reflect your wishes.
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July 08, 2024
Manitoba regulator running mental wellness challenge for lawyers
The new president of Manitoba’s law society is hoping an ongoing “wellness challenge” for lawyers will put them on the path to minding their mental health while at work. The Law Society of Manitoba’s (LSM) Wellness Challenge 2024, the first of its kind by the regulator, is a voluntary project where participants engage in various wellness activities over an eight-week period. The activities, grouped into two-week slots, began June 17 and will run through to Aug. 9.
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July 05, 2024
SCC-bound case challenges refusal to publicly disclose court records revealing civil case delays
Does the principle of judicial independence enable judicial leaders to veto, in their absolute discretion, the public release of court records that reveal the extent of civil trial delays in the courts they administer? Absent transparency about courts’ operational performance, is the judicial branch of government sufficiently accountable to the public for its role in managing the courts?
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June 28, 2024
SCC settles confusion in tax disputes about jurisdictional boundaries of Federal and Tax Courts
In judgments that clarify the jurisdictional boundaries between the Federal Court and the Tax Court in tax disputes, the Supreme Court of Canada has rejected separate appeals by two Canadian companies who challenged how their taxes were assessed by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
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June 28, 2024
Veteran Toronto lawyer starts term as LSO treasurer
The Law Society of Ontario’s (LSO) new treasurer praised his predecessor, spoke of past accomplishments and talked about “ceremony, fellowship and policy.” The LSO’s June 28 Convocation featured remarks by newly elected treasurer Peter Wardle, a Toronto-based commercial litigation and professional liability lawyer who will serve in the role for the 2024-25 term.
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June 27, 2024
Canada sanctions ‘extremist settler violence’ against Palestinians
Canada has imposed sanctions on seven Israelis and five entities in Israel “in response to the grave breach of international peace and security posed by their violent and destabilizing actions against Palestinian civilians and their property in the West Bank.”
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June 26, 2024
New public trustee announced for Northwest Territories
R.J. Simpson, the Northwest Territories minister of Justice, announced the appointment of Erin Wagner as the new public trustee of the Northwest Territories. According to a June 25 news release, Wagner’s appointment was effective June 17, 2024.