Family
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February 26, 2025
Women & 2SLGBTQI+ applicants came out ahead as ‘highly recommended’ for federal benches in 2023-2024
Asserting his new administration is “ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity,” U.S. President Donald Trump recently issued controversial executive orders banning diversity, equity and inclusion policies and hiring at the federal level in America. But in Canada, the most recent demographic statistics on federal judicial appointments and the professional competence and character assessments made by the Trudeau government’s non-partisan judicial advisory committees (JACs) indicate that diversity has gone hand in hand with “merit.”
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February 26, 2025
A complicated analysis: Tracing excluded property into co-mingled family property
Family law cases often involve an exercise of tracing to determine the value of excluded property that has been co-mingled with divisible family property. In Mills v. O’Connor 2025 BCCA 34 the Court of Appeal tackles this issue, providing their analysis of the appropriate approach in the context of a difficult and complicated family property situation.
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February 21, 2025
Canada opens door to more people impacted by Sudan’s civil conflict
Canada will resettle more refugees affected by the internal conflict in Sudan over the next two years and increase the spaces available under the family-based permanent residence pathway, the minority Liberal government says.
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February 21, 2025
Nova Scotia set to change laws for powers of attorney, substitute decision-makers
Nova Scotia has introduced a set of legislative amendments to clarify the role of a power of attorney, further safeguard the process of becoming a substitute decision-maker and modernize language on the state of the province’s unified family court.
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February 21, 2025
Seven criminal organizations listed as ‘terrorist entities’ subject to dealings, immigration bans
Canada has listed seven “transnational criminal organizations,” including street gangs and several major Mexican cartels that traffic in fentanyl, as “terrorist entities” under the Criminal Code — triggering immigration and dealings bans in Canada as well as expanding the tools law enforcement authorities have to trace and seize proceeds of crime, the federal government says.
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February 20, 2025
PBO report finds guaranteed basic income program could reduce poverty by 40 per cent
The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) has released a report on a guaranteed basic income (GBI) for Canadians, concluding that the measure could reduce the country's household poverty rate by 40 per cent if implemented.
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February 20, 2025
Nova Scotia increases paid domestic violence leave days
Nova Scotia is increasing the number of paid leave days employers are to give employees who need time off due to being victims of domestic violence. According to a Feb. 19 government news release, the province “is increasing paid domestic violence leave from three to five days, effective April 1.”
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February 19, 2025
Important immigration issues impacting legal status in the U.S.
With all the recent press about illegal immigrants being deported from the United States, it seems timely to write a reminder of what kinds of issues can impact one’s legal status in the United States.
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February 19, 2025
Anti-profit views unhelpful to Charter case against long-term care law | Heather Campbell Pope
When I was a young girl in the early ’90s, I would help my father deliver bottled water throughout southern Ontario. Some days we would go to downtown Toronto, where we brought spring water to the backstages of the city’s storied theatres, hydrating the performers and crews. Other times we delivered to airlines and the homes of famous athletes.
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February 19, 2025
Protecting pets and domestic abuse: The urgent need for Ruby’s Law
Domestic abuse is a prevalent issue that not only affects victims directly but also family members and companion animals. Perpetrators often use the victim-pet relationship as a tool for controlling and intimidating victims. This can often present insurmountable obstacles for victims in fleeing abusive relationships and environments.