Category: Legal Law

  Introduction In August 2025, the Supreme Court of Canada (the “Court” or the “Supreme Court”) declined to hear Raed Jaser’s latest appeal in the high-profile terrorism prosecution arising from the 2013 VIA Rail plot. As is customary in leave to appeal…

  In Ontario (Attorney General) v. Working Families Coalition (Canada) Inc., 2025 SCC 5, [Working Families], the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) held that the spending limits imposed by the Ontario government on third parties for political advertising infringed section 3 of…

  Introduction In Kohli v Thom, 2025 ONCA 200 [Kohli], the Court of Appeal for Ontario (the “Court”) tackled two recurring flashpoints in modern family litigation: (1) whether a parent who has survived intimate-partner violence may relocate with a young child over…

  Introduction The Supreme Court of Canada’s (the “SCC” or the “Court”) decision in R v JW, 2025 SCC 16 [JW] addresses two intertwined controversies in Canadian sentencing law. First, it clarifies whether—and how—a sentencing judge may take account of the time…

  In R v. Campbell, 2024 SCC 42 (“Campbell”), the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) weighed in on whether the police had lawful authority to use the cellphone of a drug dealer without a warrant to continue a text message conversation with…

  In the Acadian Society of New Brunswick v The Right Honorable Prime Minister of Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) will decide whether the Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick must be bilingual [41398].  Overturning the decision by the Court of Queen’s…

  Airline passengers in Canada recently scored an important win regarding consumer protection. In International Air Transportation Association v Canada (Transportation Agency), 2024 SCC 30 [International Air], the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) unanimously held that the Canada Transportation Agency’s (the “Agency”)…

By John NymanApril 1, 2025 In Earthco Soil Mixtures Inc v Pine Valley Enterprises Inc, 2024 SCC 20 [Earthco], the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) affirmed that common law principles of contractual interpretation apply to exclusion clauses under the Sale of Goods…

By Kyle SmythMarch 28, 2025 The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) is set to hear the appeal of Nguyen c. Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, 2024 QCCA 674 [Nguyen] where the Court of Appeal of Québec (“QCCA”) overturned the decision of…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) has dismissed the appeal in Saskatchewan (Environment) v Métis Nation, 2025 SCC 4 [Métis Nation]. A unanimous court found that proceedings for judicial review which raise similar issues to ongoing or past litigation do not inherently…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) will soon hear the appeal of R v Chizanga, 2024 ONCA 545 [Chizanga], in which it will opine on the principles of admitting evidence of prior discreditable conduct [41405].  Building upon the seminal case of R…

Bell was denied favourable goods and services tax (“GST”) treatment of its purchase of electricity, which was determined to be a single supply for the purpose of claiming input tax credits (“ITCs”) under the Excise Tax Act, RSC 1985, c E-15 [ETA].…

In Quebec (Attorney General) v Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takuhikan, 2024 SCC 39 [PT], the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC” or the “Court”) developed a test to determine when contracts between the state and Indigenous entities engage the honour of the Crown. Applying this test…

In R v McKee [41110], the Supreme Court (SCC) will decide whether a document in the possession of the Crown – containing information of police misconduct – obtained in respect of a unrelated investigation constitutes first-party disclosure automatically provided to the accused.…

What gives way first — Parliament’s power to control its own process, or Parliamentarians’ right to speak freely without fear of prosecution? The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) will soon grapple with this question. It has granted leave [41336] to appeal the…

Solicitor-client privilege remains a fundamental right which is only displaced where absolutely necessary. The court in Sakab Saudi Holding Company v Al Jabri, 2025 ONSC 35 [Sakab Saudi] upheld the presumption of solicitor-client privilege protection to a law firm’s trust ledger but…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) has dismissed the appeal in R v Stevenson, 2024 SCC 41 [Stevenson], upholding a trial judge’s decision to convict based on the evidence of an unsavoury or Vetrovec witness. This case was heard by the SCC…

R v. Hanrahan, 2025 SCC 1 is a short oral decision —  a mere paragraph dismissing the Crown’s appeal against a sexual assault acquittal. The Supreme Court affirmed the Newfoundland Court of Appeal’s decision (R. v. Hanrahan, 2024 NLCA 9, “NLCA Decision”)…

In Trillium Mutual Insurance Company v Emond, 2023 ONCA 729 [Trillium], the Court of Appeal for Ontario (“ONCA”) upheld a term in an insurance policy which substantially limited the insured’s recovery of rebuilding costs arising from compliance with regional building regulations. On…

In Sanis Health Inc v British Columbia, 2024 SCC 40 [Sanis], the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) upheld British Columbia’s power to represent other Canadian governments in a national class action under its Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act, SBC…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) is set to address critical questions regarding mortgage obligations which create issues of estoppel in the appeal [41296] of Patrick Street Holdings Limited v 11368 NL Inc., 2024 NLCA 11 [Patrick Street].The case raises significant issues…

In many jurisdictions, the state has no right of appeal against the acquittal of an accused at trial. This is not so in Canada, where the Attorney General may appeal an acquittal on questions of law. In R. v. T.J.F, 2024 SCC…

What is the causal line between attempted murder and aiding suicide? The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) will grapple with this issue as it has granted leave [41420] to appeal the Court of Appeal for Ontario’s (“ONCA”) decision in R v BF,…

What standard of review applies when reviewing the vires of subordinate legislation? In the post-Vavilov era, this question has been the subject of conflicting appellate guidance. The Alberta Court of Appeal in this case followed the “hyper-deferential” standard that the Supreme Court…

Canadian privacy law hit Facebook hard in the Federal Court of Appeal’s recent decision in Privacy Commissioner of Canada v Facebook inc., 2024 FCA 140 [Facebook]. The unanimous decision held that Facebook failed to obtain meaningful consent from users prior to disclosing…

In York Region District School Board v Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, 2024 SCC 22 [YRDSB], the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) reviewed an arbitrator’s decision regarding the reasonable expectation of privacy of two teachers at an Ontario public school. The majority…

“Enjoy, contribute, learn, teach…” – Professor Simon Fodden, in Slaw, July 2005 It is a privilege to learn the law. To have a legal education is to inherit a robust intellectual tradition that’s been shaped and molded by academics, lawyers and judges for…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) has granted leave [41126] to appeal the Alberta Court of Appeal’s (“ABCA”) decision in R v Sheppard, 2023 ABCA 381 [Sheppard]. The case will join R v Friesen, 2020 SCC 9 [Friesen] and R v Bertrand…

In Canada (Commissioner of Competition) v Cineplex Inc., 2024 Comp Trib 5 [Cineplex], the Competition Tribunal (“Tribunal”) levied penalties of nearly $40 million dollars against Cineplex Inc., finding that Cineplex Inc. made price misrepresentations through its digital ticket purchasing platforms. The decision…

In R v Wolfe, 2024 SCC 34 [Wolfe], a majority of the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) ruled that driving prohibitions cannot be imposed upon conviction for driving-related criminal negligence. The decision closes a years-long, multi-court debate over the statutory interpretation of…

In R v Carignan [41186], the Supreme Court of Canada (“Supreme Court”) will — for the first time — interpret the scope of and relationship between ss 495(2) and 495(3) of the Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46. Section 495 governs police…

Loyalty point programs demonstrate that, for GST/HST purposes, a payment can be received in its entirety as both a commercial and exempt amount. The Federal Court of Appeal (“FCA”) recently allowed an appeal brought by President’s Choice Bank (“PC Bank”) in President’s…

In Ahluwalia v Ahluwalia, 2023 ONCA 476 [Ahluwalia], the Ontario Court of Appeal (“ONCA”) granted a partial appeal and reduction of damage awards in the context of a family law proceeding. Significantly, it denied the creation of the novel tort of “family…

In Canadian Frontline Nurses v Canada (Attorney General), 2024 FC 42 [CFN], the Federal Court (“FC”) considered an application for judicial review challenging the federal government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act, RSC 1985, c 22 in the wake of the 2022 Freedom…

In Canada (Attorney General) v Power 2024 SCC 26 [Power], the Supreme Court held that the Crown can be held liable in damages for passing legislation later deemed unconstitutional. This case turns on conflicting constitutional principles. On the one hand, the principles…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) is set to hear an appeal out of the Quebec Court of Appeal (“QCCA”) on where the prescription period for the creditor’s right to seize band property was interrupted by a notice of execution. The SCC…

In R v Hodgson, 2024 SCC 25 [Hodgson], the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) unanimously rejected the Crown’s appeal of an acquittal for second degree murder and manslaughter. The case turns on the scope of the Crown’s limited right to appeal acquittals…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) in R v Charles, 2024 SCC 29 [Charles] has clarified the approach to using corroborative evidence to establish the reliability of hearsay evidence. Moreau J, writing for the majority, allowed the appeal and ordered a new…

The Supreme Court has recognized that habeas corpus is “the strongest tool a prisoner has to ensure that the deprivation of his or her liberty is not unlawful” (Mission Institution v Khela, 2014 SCC 24 at para 29 [Khela]). In Dorsey v…

In Poonian v. British Columbia (Securities Commission), the Supreme Court of Canada clarified that disgorgement orders, but not administrative fines, could survive discharge under provisions of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. In Poonian v. British Columbia (Securities Commission) 2024 SCC 28 [Poonian],…

Questions on tax jurisdiction currently cause headaches for many taxpayers attempting to resolve a tax issue. It can be difficult to determine whether the Tax Court of Canada (“TCC”) or Federal Court (“FC”) is the correct jurisdiction for the appeal to be…

In Ontario (Attorney General) v. Ontario (Information and Privacy Commissioner), 2024 SCC 4 [IPC], the Supreme Court of Canada (“the SCC”) held that mandate letters issued by Premier Doug Ford to his ministers shortly after the formation of his government in 2018…

In R v Kruk, 2024 SCC 7 [Kruk], the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) rejected the “rule against common-sense assumptions,” affirming the importance and necessity of trial judges’ common-sense reasoning to their credibility assessments. This decision is significant for two reasons: (1)…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) is set to review the patentability of dosage regimens for medical treatments. Last month, the SCC granted leave to appeal [41209] the Federal Court of Appeal (“FCA”) decision in Pharmascience Inc v Janssen Inc and Janssen…

In R v Bouvette, 2023 BCCA 152 [Bouvette] the Court of Appeal for British Columbia (BCCA) set aside a guilty plea and ordered a stay of proceedings where the Crown failed to disclose material documents to the defence. In doing so, they…

Earlier in February of 2024, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) granted leave to hear the appeal of British Columbia Court of Appeal (“BCCA”) case R v Kinamore, 2023 BCCA 337 [Kinamore]. The appeal concerns the uneven scrutiny of competing evidence and…

In R v Bykovets, 2024 SCC 6 [Bykovets], a 5-4 majority of the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) found that Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses are protected by the right against unreasonable search and seizure in section 8 of the Canadian Charter of…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) will soon give direction to lower courts on how to assess the prejudicial and probative value of permitting an accused’s criminal record to be admitted as evidence. In R v Hussein, 2023 ONCA 253 [Hussein], the…

In Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association v. Ontario (Attorney General), 2024 ONCA 101 [OECTA], the majority of the Ontario Court of Appeal (“ONCA” or the “Court”) upheld the Superior Court finding that Ontario’s Bill 124 (“the Bill” or “the Act”), which places–a…

The Court of Appeal for Ontario (“ONCA”) has re-emphasised that capacity for rational decision-making has no place in the test for fitness to stand trial. In its ruling in R v Bharwani, 2023 ONCA 203 [Bharwani], the ONCA held that fitness to…

In Mirza et al v the Law Society of Ontario 2023 ONSC 6727, [“Mirza“] the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (“SCJ” or the “Court”) struck a balance between the requirements of administrative procedural fairness and the integrity of the legal profession. The…

In R v Wolfe, 2022 SKCA 132 [Wolfe], the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal (“SKCA”) affirmed that part VIII.1 of the Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46 [Code] grants judges the authority to order driving prohibitions for driving-related criminal negligence causing death or…

In R v Breault, 2023 SCC 9 [Breault], the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) settled a long-running dispute regarding the flexibility of the immediacy requirement in situations where a police officer demands a breath sample to be provided “forthwith” by a suspected…

In R v Abdullahi, 2023 SCC 19 [Abdullahi], Canada’s highest court made a 6-1 ruling that an Ontario trial judge erred in law by insufficiently instructing the jury of the legal definition of “criminal organization” per s. 467.1(1) of the Criminal Code,…

In Ontario (Attorney General) v Ontario (Information and Privacy Commissioner), 2024 SCC 4 [Ontario], the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC” or the “Court”) held that the executive branch of the Ontario government was not required to disclose mandate letters sent to Cabinet…

The Court of Appeal for Ontario (the “ONCA”) has provided an emphatic reminder regarding the importance of timely access to counsel. R v Whittaker, 2024 ONCA 182 reinforces the notion that extended delays in accessing counsel will generally have an extensive impact…

In Yatar v TD Insurance Meloche Monnex, 2004 SCC 8 [Yatar], the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) unanimously ruled that the existence of a statutory right of appeal does not preclude individuals from seeking judicial review for questions not covered by the…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) is set to hear an appeal out of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal (“SKCA”) on a decades-long Métis land claim proceeding through a judicial review application in the case of Métis Nation – Saskatchewan v Saskatchewan…

In R v Bykovets, 2024 SCC 6, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) decided that Canadians have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses. As a result, law enforcement and investigative agencies will require judicial authorization to compel…

In Canadian Broadcasting Corp. v Manitoba, 2023 SCC 27 [CBC v Manitoba], the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC” or “the Court”) unanimously dismissed from the bench an appeal from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (“CBC”) to set aside a publication ban.  The SCC…

Content Warning: The facts of this case involve the mention of serious violence and sexual assault.   The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) has granted leave [40956] to appeal the Court of Appeal for Ontario’s (“ONCA”) decision in R v J.W., 2023…

For an overview of the judicial history of this case, please see the first installment of this contribution. In this second contribution, I focus on the two underlying legal questions before the SCC.       At the SCC: What is an…

On February 22, 2024, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”, or the “Court”) granted the Crown’s application for leave to appeal [40990] R v Wilson, 2023 SKCA 106 [Wilson]. The SCC’s decision will set a national standard regarding the limits of police…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) granted leave to appeal Pepa v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2023 FCA 102 (“Pepa FCA”), a pithy (16 paragraph) dismissal of a certified question for appeal from the Federal Court of Canada (“FC”) under the Immigration…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) has granted leave to appeal the long and complex case of R v Pan 2023 ONCA 362 [Pan]. At trial, four co-accused – Jennifer Pan (“Pan”), Daniel Chi-Kwong Wong (“Wong”), Lenford Crawford (“Crawford”), and David Mylvaganam…

In R v Zacharias, 2023 SCC 30 [Zacharias], a divided Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC” or the “Court”) held that evidence obtained through an unlawful detention cannot be used to ground a lawful arrest. Although Zacharias set a uniform national standard on…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) is set to hear an appeal out of the Federal Court of Appeal (“FCA”) on undue delay leading to dismissal in the case of Sweet Productions Inc. v Licensing IP International, 2022 FCA 111 [Sweet Productions]…

The Federal Court of Appeal (the “FCA”) resolved an “unusual question” about the Federal Court’s jurisdiction to raise a substantive question not raised by the parties in the context of an urgent motion for judicial review. In Canada (Public Safety and Emergency…

For an overview of the legislative and judicial history of the case, please see the first installment of this contribution. In this second contribution, I focus my analysis on key takeaways relating to Goldstein J’s holding that the PCEPA passes constitutional muster.…

In Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform v Attorney General, 2023 ONSC 5197 (“CASWLR”), Goldstein J of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (“OSCJ”) dismissed a Charter application challenging the constitutional validity of various sex work laws arising out of Bill…

Canada’s self-defence laws, which were recently reformed to provide greater clarity for that defence, have stirred up new uncertainty. In R v Hodgson, 2022 NUCA 9, the Court of Appeal of Nunavut (“NUCA”) overturned an acquittal of a second degree murder charge…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) is set to hear an appeal out of the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan (“SKCA”) on inmate discipline regimes in the case of John Howard Society of Saskatchewan v The Government of Saskatchewan (The Attorney General…

Last November, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) granted leave to Sanis Health Inc., Shoppers Drug Mart Inc., Sandoz Canada Inc. and McKesson Canada Corporation to appeal Sandoz Canada Inc. v British Columbia, 2023 BCCA 306 (“Sandoz Canada”). The appellants are defendants…

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”, or the “Court”) will revisit the question of when a contract formed in one province is sufficiently connected to a tort claim to establish jurisdiction over an out-of-province defendant. On January 11, 2024, the SCC granted…

In Ontario Teacher Candidates’ Council v Ontario (Education), 2023 ONCA 788 [OTCC], the Ontario Court of Appeal (ONCA) overturned a Divisional Court decision deeming Ontario’s Math Proficiency Test (MPT), aimed at incoming teaching candidates, constitutional and not contrary to s 15 of the…

In R v Greater Sudbury (City) 2023 SCC 28, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) decided the “belt and braces” theory for workplace safety warrants treating project owners as employers under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, RSO 1990, c O1 (“OHSA”…

In a rare unanimous judgement, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) has ruled in R v Haevischer, 2023 SCC 11 (Haevischer) that only “manifestly frivolous” applications can be summarily dismissed in the criminal law context. The decision is significant for two reasons:…

In Deans Knight Income Corp. v Canada, 2023 SCC 16, (“Deans Knight”) the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC” or “the Court”) dismissed the taxpayer’s appeal, holding that the General Anti-Avoidance Rule (“GAAR”) under s. 245 of the Income Tax Act, RSC 1985,…

In R v Hanan, 2023 SCC 12 [Hanan], the Supreme Court (“SCC”) found that transitional exceptional circumstances did not excuse an excess delay of proceedings under s 11(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms [Charter].    Facts On December 23,…

Introduction The two presidents of a Québec-based insurance group betrayed an atmosphere of trust with the majority shareholders. In Ponce v Société d’investissements Rhéaume ltée, 2023 SCC 25 [Ponce] the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) showcased Québec’s requirement for courts to consider…

The Ontario Court of Appeal (the “ONCA”) has provided fresh guidance on the applicable standard of review for a lower court’s interpretation of a standard form contract. Ontario Securities Commission v Bridging Finance Inc., 2023 ONCA 769 [Bridging] sheds light on the…