No clear answers as to when longer notice periods are required

/ Employment/Labour /

A recent Ontario Superior Court decision provides a clear reminder that there remains real uncertainty as to what constitutes “exceptional circumstances” that would require an employer to give a termination of employment notice greater than 24 months in length. When an employer terminates someone’s employment, they typically owe them prior “reasonable notice” of termination.  The length […]

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Property defence must be reasonable in the circumstances

/ Criminal Law /

By LegalMatters Staff • Many Canadians are unclear about what rights they have when it comes to self-defence. In Alberta, that has been an issue in disputes where landowners have encountered uninvited people on their property. In one recent case, two men lost their lives, with the property owners claiming they were acting in self-defence.

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TLA Awards Gala is a chance to socialize and celebrate

/ Legal Services /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • It is “full steam ahead” for the Toronto Lawyers’ Association’s (TLA) annual Awards Gala next month, says executive director/library director Joan Rataic-Lang. “People are really starting to get excited about it,” she says. “The gala has established itself as a marquee event. People know that it is a lovely time and

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Young retail workers are giving union popularity a boost

/ Employment/Labour /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Young workers could be leading the charge in a resurgence of union popularity, says Toronto employment lawyer Jeffrey M. Andrew. Some are predicting 2023 could be the year of the union comeback with employees in low-paying service sector jobs seeking the bargaining power and protection that comes in numbers. “It

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You have the right to self-defence, within reasonable limits

/ Criminal Law /

By LegalMatters Staff • What occurred during a home invasion in Halifax last year provides a good example of what is permissible under Canada’s self-defence laws. It started when two men wearing masks and carrying weapons broke into a home in the early evening. They were confronted by two male occupants and one of the intruders

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OCA should hold that CERB payments are not deductible

/ Employment/Labour /

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on laid-off and terminated employees may be mostly forgotten as Ontario enters 2023. However, for Ontario employees let go during the pandemic, a critical employment law issue remains unresolved: Should employers be allowed to deduct Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) payments from wrongful dismissal monies they owe? More than

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Ontario puts out the welcome mat for healthcare workers

/ Health Law /

Recently announced plans by Ontario to welcome more healthcare professionals from other provinces is overdue and great news for Ontario patients. Presently, anyone in another Canadian jurisdiction who works in a profession that falls under Ontario’s Regulated Health Professions Act must pay to register with one of Ontario’s health regulatory colleges. They then must prove they are

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New lawyers get valuable insight with TLA’s multi-series forum

/ Legal Services /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • The Toronto Lawyers Association (TLA) is launching Tell Me the Truth Tuesdays: 6 Programs for Lawyers Under 6 Years of Service, a new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) series beginning Feb. 21. “We were looking to do something new,” says Gabriel Latner, a member of the TLA’s Young Lawyers Committee. “We wanted to put together a program that

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The right to bail is a pillar of our justice system

/ Criminal Law /

By LegalMatters Staff • Many organizations and people have been calling for bail reform following high-profile incidents involving those who committed crimes while on bail.  Some politicians, including Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, are pushing the federal government to ensure people accused of violent offences are kept in custody as they await trial. In Alberta, Justice

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