In-House Counsel
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February 21, 2025
Federal Court orders reassessment of glyphosate-based pesticide over new risk evidence
The Federal Court has ordered the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to reconsider its renewal of a pesticide product registration, citing a lack of evidence that the agency reviewed scientific studies highlighting new or heightened risks from its active ingredient.
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February 21, 2025
Union files complaint with tribunal to reopen Amazon warehouses in Quebec
Trade union Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) has filed a complaint with Quebec's Administrative Labour Tribunal alleging that Amazon’s plan to close warehouses in the province runs contrary to its labour code.
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February 21, 2025
Proposed settlements worth $8.9 million reached over alleged price-fixing of electronic parts
Proposed national settlements of $8.9 million have been reached in class actions that alleged certain manufacturers were involved in price-fixing and related conduct involving electrolytic and/or film capacitors used in electronics.
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February 21, 2025
Under the Ford government: Justice delayed and denied at Tribunals Ontario | Kathy Laird
In December 2024, Tribunals Ontario released its much-delayed Annual Report for 2023/24, and despite some self-congratulatory messaging, the data inside, and on the Tribunals Ontario website, demonstrates that there are serious deficits in the quality, accessibility and timeliness of justice at three of its busiest tribunals — the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) and the Licence Appeal Tribunal — Automobile Accident Benefits Service (LAT-AABS), which hears motor vehicle injury claims against insurance companies.
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February 21, 2025
Doctrine of absolute privilege: Defamation claim survives dismissal
The doctrine of absolute privilege is often raised as a defence in defamation claims that involve communications made during the course of legal proceedings. Statements made in pleadings such as a statement of claim or statement of defence are generally shielded from defamation claims on this basis. However, in other cases, it may be less clear whether absolute privilege applies to the statements at issue.
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February 21, 2025
Feds kick off information-sharing ‘partnership’ between RCMP, big banks aimed at money laundering
Ottawa has launched an initiative this week that the federal government says will “support the permissible sharing of money laundering and organized crime intelligence between law enforcement and Canada’s big banks.”
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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 21, 2025
When regulated persons are suspected of committing crimes
From a public policy perspective, there is little consensus on how regulators of professions and law enforcement agencies should co-ordinate their efforts when a registrant is suspected of committing a crime. Despite some media articles in the past (e.g., related to lawyers and physicians), few regulators even have a published policy on the topic. The policies that do exist tend to be brief and do not address the co-ordination of efforts.
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February 20, 2025
Nova Scotia introduces legislation to resolve property access disputes
The Nova Scotia government has introduced legislation aimed at resolving disputes that occur when property owners seek access to an adjacent property to complete construction and repairs.
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February 20, 2025
Ontario Court of Appeal upholds $4M oral sale agreement for land under doctrine of part performance
The Ontario Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling precluding a seller from relying on the Statute of Frauds to void a $4.1 million oral land sale agreement, finding that the seller stood by while the buyer fulfilled its contractual obligations to its detriment.