Family
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June 03, 2024
Bill C-71 depreciates Canadian citizenship | Sergio R. Karas
On May 23, 2024, Immigration Minister Marc Miller introduced Bill C-71, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act (2024), in Canada’s Parliament. This bill aims to extend citizenship by descent beyond the first generation, allowing children of Canadian citizens born abroad to pass their citizenship on to their children. Further, Bill C-71 seeks to restore citizenship to “Lost Canadians” — individuals who lost or never acquired Canadian citizenship due to changes in the legislation.
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May 31, 2024
SCC gives guidance on interpreting exclusion clauses, applying standards of appellate review
The Supreme Court of Canada has clarified what is required for an exclusion clause in a contract of sale to exempt the seller from an implied condition under Ontario’s Sale of Goods Act (SGA) and has also clarified what standards of appellate review apply when trial courts interpret contracts involving implied statutory conditions.
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May 31, 2024
Enforcing support obligations in separation agreements and court orders against an estate
Do spousal and child obligations for support survive death? How does someone who has obtained an order for support from an ex-spouse or an estate enforce that order? Does it make a difference if the support order is obtained under the Divorce Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. 3 (2nd Supp.) or the Family Law Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.3 (FLA)?
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May 31, 2024
N.B. Crowns’ association warns of catastrophe if prosecutors go on strike
The president of an association representing unionized prosecutors in New Brunswick says it would be “catastrophic” if Crowns go on strike — as almost all of them have unofficially voted to do if a deal is not reached with the province.
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May 31, 2024
Cellphones in Ontario schools, the voice of the child, part three | Marvin Zuker
There is a significant perception gap between educators and students when it comes to the impact of social media on mental health. Too often, platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat are blamed for exacerbating students’ mental health problems.
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May 30, 2024
Ontario announces it will appoint 25 new judges, 190 Crown prosecutors and court staff
The Ontario government has announced it will appoint 25 new judges and hire about 190 more Crown prosecutors, victim support workers and court staff to help address ongoing court delays and case backlogs that some lawyers say have reached crisis proportions.
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May 30, 2024
MPs call for automatic renewed work & study permits for Hong Kongers; 97.6% get permanent residence
The Commons citizenship and immigration committee has urged Ottawa to “immediately automatically renew open work permits and study permits” for Hong Kong nationals as they wait in Canada for their permanent resident applications to be decided by the immigration department, which has more than 10,000 applications awaiting disposition.
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May 30, 2024
Cellphones in Ontario schools, the voice of the child, part two | Marvin Zuker
On March 25, 2024, Florida became the first state to effectively bar residents under the age of 14 from holding accounts on services like TikTok and Instagram. The bill, effective January 2025, signed by Gov. Ron De Santis, prohibits certain social networks from giving accounts to children under 14 and requires the services to terminate accounts that a platform knew or believed belonged to underage users. It also requires the platform to obtain a parent’s permission before giving accounts to 14- and 15-year-olds.
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May 29, 2024
5 judicial appointments to B.C. supreme court
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Arif Virani announced five judicial appointments to the Supreme Court of British Columbia: Judith E. Hoffman, Lisa J. Hamilton, Shannon P. Ramsay, Edlyn Laurie and Alison M. Latimer.
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May 29, 2024
Multiple powers of attorney for business owners
Estate planning discussions are often centred around a person’s will. While it is essential to consider what will happen to your business assets upon your death, it can be equally important to plan for a situation in which you are alive but incapable of managing your affairs. The sudden absence of a business owner without proper planning can have a significant impact on the continued success of the business. A power of attorney is a vital aspect of this planning.