By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • A fixed-term employment agreement serves an important contractual role in the workplace but companies should be careful how they use them, says Toronto-area employment lawyer and mediator Stuart Rudner. “There is actually some confusion among employers when it comes to these contracts,” says Rudner, founder and principal at Rudner […]
Fixed-term employment contracts have a time and a place Read More »
By LegalMatters Staff • At the end of April the federal government proposed changes to the National Sex Offender Registry. The modifications, contained in Bill S-12, are in response to a 2022 Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) decision that found two Criminal Code provisions relating to the registry were inconsistent with the Canadian Charter of
Proposed federal amendments to the sex registry fall short Read More »
By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • A U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruling that saw the Andy Warhol Foundation lose its copyright fight with a celebrity photographer may have “some persuasive authority in Canadian courts,” says Toronto intellectual property lawyer John Simpson. On May 18, SCOTUS upheld a lower court’s decision that found Warhol’s work, based on a Lynn
Canadian copyright law likely to be influenced by Warhol decision Read More »
By LegalMatters Staff • Separated and divorced parents want to enjoy a summer vacation with their children but problems can arise if they do not communicate effectively about their holiday plans. In most cases, the parenting schedule they have agreed to will include language defining each parent’s right to vacation with their children, such as
Vacation planning advice for divorced/separated parents Read More »
By LegalMatters Staff • Alberta is implementing an important change in the province’s criminal justice system that should see caseloads drop by one-fifth. The recent provincial budget included $30 million in funding for the Alberta Crown Prosecution, with just under $5 million to be used to hire 16 pre-charges assessment prosecutors. These new prosecutors will
New Crown prosecutors will speed up Alberta’s justice system Read More »
By Paul Russell, LegalMatters Staff • Three high-profile legal actions in the United States demonstrate that neither U.S. presidents nor powerful news organizations can get away with spreading lies or trampling on someone’s reputation, says Toronto defamation lawyer Howard Winkler. “When we look at the three-quarters of a billion-dollar settlement Dominion Voting Systems received from
The ‘extreme arrogance or stupidity’ of the U.S. right Read More »
By LegalMatters Staff • The Criminal Code currently includes long lists of banned weapons in Canada. That may change. According to a government announcement early in May, Bill C-21 would abandon the “approach of spelling out each make and variety of banned firearm in lengthy lists” and instead provide a “clear, consistent” definition of assault-style
Canada needs a ‘consistent’ definition of an assault-style weapon Read More »
By Paul Russell, LegalMatters Staff • You just suffered a personal injury. If it was due to the actions or negligence of someone else, you may be entitled to compensation to aid in your recovery. Before you can receive that funding there is one crucial thing you should try to secure, says Ontario personal injury
Every successful personal injury case has one key element Read More »
Each year about 200,000 Canadians are diagnosed with a concussion, according to Brain Injury Canada. It can be a perplexing injury that could lead to cognitive impairments that can impact the rest of your life. Concussions can be difficult to diagnose. It cannot be seen on a regular X-ray and brain scans are typically not helpful. A CT
Ignoring concussion symptoms can have a lasting impact Read More »
By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • With companies increasingly ordering remote and hybrid workers back to the office, employers and employees would be wise to review their rights and obligations, says Toronto employment lawyer Ellen Low. “Recall to the office has become a hot-button issue,” she tells LegalMattersCanada.ca. “More and more people working in a hybrid or
Have you been ordered back to the office? Know your rights Read More »
