Canada needs a ‘consistent’ definition of an assault-style weapon

/ Criminal Law /

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 […]

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Ignoring concussion symptoms can have a lasting impact

/ Personal Injury /

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

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Have you been ordered back to the office? Know your rights

/ Employment/Labour /

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

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Avoid mistakes that can make a divorce even more stressful

/ Family Law /

By LegalMatters Staff • If you are going through a divorce you can expect many stressful situations. You must reach a separation agreement with your ex-partner, spelling out the division of assets and agree on a parenting schedule if you have children Templates for these agreements can be found online but if you do not

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New firm aims to create ‘supportive environment’ for clients

/ Disability Law /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • For York Region disability insurance lawyer Courtney Mulqueen, the guiding principles of her new practice have as much to do with how to serve clients as it does with winning cases. “We are a trauma-informed disability law firm,” she tells LegalMattersCanada.ca. “We understand the impact of the trauma our clients have

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Alberta Firearms Act is the ‘fair deal’ gun owners need

/ Criminal Law /

By LegalMatters Staff • Many Albertans have long been critical of federal firearm legislation. That includes the proposed Bill C-21 that would prohibit the sale and ownership of many assault-style firearms.  In response, the provincial government gave royal assent to Bill 8 at the end of March, enacting the Alberta Firearms Act. Provincial Justice Minister

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Insurance claimants could benefit from SCC intervention

/ Personal Injury /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Barrie-area litigator Steve Rastin says he is hopeful the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) will agree to weigh in on a recent court of appeal decision that he believes could have a detrimental effect on insurance claimants if it is not reversed. In Varriano v. Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, the Ontario

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‘No one wins when it comes to parental alienation’

/ Family Law /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Parental alienation not only hurts the targeted parent but can have a lasting effect on children, which is why it is important to keep family relationships civil, says Toronto family lawyer A. Julia P. Tremain.  “No one wins when it comes to parental alienation,” says Tremain, a partner with Waddell Phillips

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