Canadian courts and judges are using AI in their work. Not all of them, but some of them. A small number of courts have publicly announced formal pilots or adoption of AI tools (see, e.g., here and here); other courts have authorized judges to use certain AI tools but haven’t (to my knowledge) made any public announcements about these authorizations; and, finally, individual judges are experimenting with using AI tools in their work on ad hoc, generally undisclosed (at least to the public) bases. I am not aware of any judicial decision in Canada in which a judge has . . . [more]

On March 26, 2026, Bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, received Royal Assent. Framed as a response to system pressures and “asylum shopping,” the law marks one of the most significant shifts in Canada’s refugee regime since 2002. Its core effect is simple but profound: it narrows who gets access to a full refugee hearing, and how.

Three changes deserve particular attention.

A One-Year Deadline for Refugee Claims

Canada has replaced a flexible standard requiring claims to be made “without delay” with a strict one-year filing deadline. Claims submitted after that period . . . [more]

Each Monday we present brief excerpts of recent posts from five of Canada’s award­-winning legal blogs chosen at random* from more than 80 recent Clawbie winners. In this way we hope to promote their work, with their permission, to as wide an audience as possible.

This week the randomly selected blogs are 1. Stack Condo Law 2. Legal Feeds 3. Vincent Gautrais 4. Rule of Law 5. PierreRoy & Associés

Stack Condo Law
5 Things Condo Managers Must Do When Served With a Claim

No one wants to be handed a claim. Whether it is a slip and fall action, . . . [more]

Every week we present the summary of a decision handed down by a Québec court provided to us by SOQUIJ and considered to be of interest to our readers throughout Canada. SOQUIJ is attached to the Québec Department of Justice and collects, analyzes, enriches, and disseminates legal information in Québec.

PÉNAL (DROIT) : La Cour rejette l’appel de la peine de 18 mois d’emprisonnement infligée à l’accusé, lequel a accédé, à partir d’un ordinateur, à des comptes de courrier électronique, Facebook ou iCloud à l’insu d’une vingtaine de personnes titulaires de ceux-ci, accédant ainsi à des renseignements de nature privée, . . . [more]

As a supplement to our Sunday Summary each month, Supreme Advocacy LLP in Ottawa presents Supreme One-Liners, a super-short descriptive guide to the most recent decisions at the Supreme Court of Canada. Supreme Advocacy LLP offers its more comprehensive weekly electronic newsletter, Supreme Advocacy Letter, summarizing all Appeals, Oral Judgments and Leaves to Appeal granted.

Oral Judgment

Criminal Law: Fresh Evidence
R. v. Maadani, 2026 SCC 11 (41972)

Appeal re fresh evidence dismissed 5:2.

Appeals

Criminal Law: Forfeiture
R. v. Nguyen, 2026 SCC 10 (41400)

Stay of proceedings not bar forfeiture proceedings.

Appeal (Reasons)

Criminal Law: Sexual . . . [more]

In the midst of the ongoing concerns about hallucinations, particularly related to citations in documents filed with courts, I wonder if the particular focus on AI generated errors, and the penalties that have been imposed in response, are at least partly due to perceptions of these tools as cheating or aesthetic ideas about how “real” legal writing should happen. And I query the rationales for recent instances of judges issuing sanctions against people who have inadvertently included them. It seems that mistakes in AI generated documents are treated differently from mistakes that can and do appear in any piece of . . . [more]

Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD), and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law.

Quiet Rebels: A History of Ontario Women Lawyers. By Mary Jane Mossman. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2024. xi, 528 p. Includes bibliographic references and index. ISBN 9781771125925 (hardcover) $95.00; ISBN 9781771125932 (ePUB); ISBN 9781771125949 (PDF).

Reviewed by Melanie R. Bueckert
Legal Research Counsel
Manitoba Court of Appeal

As . . . [more]

In my last two articles, I introduced the RECLAIM model as a cultural operating system for law firms, and then explored the first element of the model: Respect.

This month, I turn to the next two elements: Equity and Clarity.

To begin, let me introduce you to Sam.

Sam runs a busy practice. She has a legal assistant whose performance has been inconsistent for years. There are regular typos, misspelled client names, and a lack of attention to detail that means Sam must review everything herself. The opportunities for Sam to delegate are limited, even for simple tasks.

The . . . [more]

“Progressions can’t be made if we’re separate forever.” – Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Quest)

Whether your path to addressing a dispute is collaborative or adversarial, some degree of interaction with others engaged in the conflict is typically required. The frequency of such interactions can heighten their strain, particularly in circumstances where disputing parties co-exist in close proximity, such as if they share a workplace or are neighbours.

Establishing shared understanding can go a long way in mitigating anxiety and offer comfort through what is often an uncomfortable process – particularly if the dispute resolution path needed is an adversarial one. . . . [more]

Each Monday we present brief excerpts of recent posts from five of Canada’s award­-winning legal blogs chosen at random* from more than 80 recent Clawbie winners. In this way we hope to promote their work, with their permission, to as wide an audience as possible.

This week the randomly selected blogs are 1. Le Blogue du CRL 2. Precedent: The New Rules of Law and Style 3. Robichaud’s Criminal Law Blog 4. Administrative Law Matters 5. Double Aspect

Le Blogue du CRL
Arrêt Fox : Un avocat peut-il se servir de communications privilégiées dans sa propre défense ?

Dans l’arrêt . . . [more]

Every week we present the summary of a decision handed down by a Québec court provided to us by SOQUIJ and considered to be of interest to our readers throughout Canada. SOQUIJ is attached to the Québec Department of Justice and collects, analyzes, enriches, and disseminates legal information in Québec.

PÉNAL (DROIT) : Une directive portant sur l’utilisation limitée du silence de l’appelant, l’auteur de l’attaque au sabre dans le Vieux-Québec, était nécessaire; l’absence de directive exige que la tenue d’un nouveau procès soit ordonnée.

Intitulé : Girouard c. R., 2026 QCCA 435
Juridiction : Cour d’appel (C.A.), Québec
Décision . . . [more]

A quote I always use when I’m teaching statutory research is, “Statutes are not cuddly, and no one reads them for fun.”[1] The legal profession relies primarily on the written word, and those words typically aren’t light bedtime reading. Legal research, when compared to other mandatory text-dense courses, can offer a reprieve. As a practical course it is often rooted in processes that benefit from visual aids.

This post will provide an overview of some visual aids for teaching legal research that I’ve developed over the past few years. I share these based on positive student feedback and with . . . [more]