Hugh Meighen says the common law sufficiently regulates litigation funding By Julius Melnitzer | October 7, 2022 As the European Union plans a clampdown on litigation funding, funders operating in Canada and lawyers familiar with their workings say regulatory intervention is not required here. “Regulation exists as a de facto matter by way of well-developed common […]
Bill Trudell says the profession believes in second chances By Julius Melnitzer | October 5, 2022 Ontario’s Law Society Tribunal has refused a paralegal license to an ex-police officer who masterminded a $3.1 million armoured vehicle heist in 1998. “Any applicant with problems in their past, including a criminal record, needs to have as clean […]
Decision dispels controversy about whether Gladue principles apply to trial process By Julius Melnitzer | September 30, 2022 The Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled that trial judges may consider an accused’s Indigeneity in determining whether their criminal records are admissible in cross-examination. “This is an important and helpful legal precedent on an issue that […]
Gavin MacKenzie says interim orders in disciplinary proceedings are meant to protect the public By Julius Melnitzer | September 28, 2022 A Law Society of Ontario tribunal has allowed a lawyer accused of having clients send firm funds to his personal account to continue practising in-house for a family corporation until his case is decided […]
With the value of the land exceeding the collective worth of some units, usage may increase, says Craig Garbe By Julius Melnitzer | September 27, 2022 Condominiums, albeit a relatively new legal phenomenon, are showing their age. The value of the land on some older developments now exceeds the collective worth of the individual units. “It […]
By Julius Melnitzer | September 21, 2022 The Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that a Halifax restaurant must include a portion of the electronic gratuities intended for wait staff as “pensionable salary and wages” when calculating its liabilities under the Canada Pension Plan. The Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that a Halifax restaurant […]
Michelle Psutka of Scott Fenton Barristers By Julius Melnitzer | September 19, 2022 The Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled that the strip search of a male accused in the presence of a female officer did not violate the accused’s Charter rights because the search took place in “exigent circumstances.” “The Court of Appeal’s reasons […]
Bennett Jones’ Talia Bregman says termination clauses are especially ripe for review By Julius Melnitzer | September 8, 2022 It’s time for Ontario employers to review their employment contracts comprehensively – and the sooner, the better. “If an employment contract, particularly one based on a standard form, has not been updated in the last six […]
Decision highlights need for broader approach for HIV nondisclosure conviction reviews: Colleen McKeown of Daniel Brown Law LLP. BY Julius Melnitzer | September 6, 2022 Relying on new scientific evidence, the Ontario Court of Appeal has overturned the 2013 aggravated sexual assault conviction of a woman who did not reveal her HIV status to an unprotected […]
Veteran lawyer says the ‘horrible situation’ unmasks a system that is ‘not reliable’ By Julius Melnitzer | September 1, 2022 A Law Society Tribunal has refused to allow Jeremy Diamond to withdraw his admissions of professional misconduct, despite rejecting a joint submission that the panel impose a reprimand as a penalty for his impugned activities. “We […]