New and expanded reverse onus provisions for bail — demanded by the provinces in the name of enhancing public safety but denounced by criminal lawyers as counterproductive and apt to be constitutionally challenged — will kick in Jan. 4, 2024, the federal Department of Justice says ..read more

The welcoming of a new child into the family is a great time for parents to update their estate plan to include their bundle of joy. But what about a new grandparent? The question always arises: should I leave anything for my grandchildren ..read more

Tax planning and the succession of a family business are closely intertwined. As family business owners contemplate the transfer of their enterprise to the next generation, one of their primary goals is often reducing the tax implications associated with the transfer. An effectively devised tax strategy plays a pivotal role in safeguarding accumulated wealth from the family business for both the current owners and their successors ..read more

Justice Marie-Josée Hogue, the Quebec Court of Appeal judge who heads the commission of inquiry into foreign interference in federal electoral processes and democratic institutions, has green-lit 22 groups and individuals to participate as parties or interveners in the public inquiry, disclosing she also expects to issue a decision soon on requests for funding for lawyers applied for by some of those who were granted standing ..read more

The Liberal government appointed a few more women than men to the federal benches in the past year, although men were rated “highly recommended” by the country’s 17 independent judicial advisory committees (JACs) a bit more often, according to annual data disclosed by the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada ..read more

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Dec. 4 announced that Janet Winteringham, a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, is appointed a justice of appeal of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia ..read more

Motion by the husband to recognize and enforce his Iranian divorce. Motion by the wife for declaratory relief. The husband and the wife were citizens of both Canada and Iran. They were born in Iran, moved to Ontario, married in Ontario, had four children together in Ontario, worked and lived in Ontario and separated from each other in Ontario. As was required under Sharia law, at the time of marriage they entered into a Mehr or marriage portion ..read more

The federal Department of Justice (DOJ) on Dec. 4 announced that Kerry Lee McVey, Crown attorney at the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario in Perth, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Ottawa ..read more

As the holidays roll in, it’s important to remember the season is about more than festivities and cheer, especially for HR professionals and business owners. With Christmas on the horizon, it's not unusual for employees to try to get more time off to spend with their loved ones ..read more

Parenting co-ordination is garnering increasing attention as a viable family dispute resolution modality. For co-parents experiencing sustained post-parenting-plan conflict, it is an option that could serve to mitigate, if not altogether eliminate, the risk of harm to children resulting from exposure to ongoing strife between their parents ..read more