The Friday Brief: Managing Editor’s must-read items from this week

Matthew Grace

Here are my picks for the top stories we published this week.

Task force sets sights on ‘revamping the entire court system,’ says N.S. chief justice
As COVID-19 forced lockdowns across the globe, the use of technology ramped up to ensure work could continue in key areas. One of those areas is the judicial system. Now Nova Scotia has established a task force to explore how technology could further improve access to justice, increase efficiencies and create better outcomes.

Research project seeks to understand COVID-19 justice barriers for people who live with disabilities
Researchers at a western Canada university have embarked on studies into how measures to combat COVID-19 have impacted access to justice for Ontarians with disabilities living in care centres and people with mental disorders in British Columbia’s prisons and psychiatric facilities.

Consumer group concerned about effectiveness of new home construction regulator
A consumer protection organization for new homebuyers is warning that Ontario’s recently launched Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) is already making some of the same mistakes as its predecessor agency, Tarion, which was criticized by the province’s auditor general in 2019 for favouring homebuilders over buyers.

Energy company files $400-million lawsuit against Alberta over stalled oil sands project
The saga of a controversial oil sands development in northern Alberta has a new chapter after an energy company filed a $400-million lawsuit saying the province misrepresented itself as the company went through the regulatory process on the project.

Canada’s shell game on C-92 funding
In her column, Pamela Palmater writes: “The federal government has once again proven that legislative initiatives tend to be effective deflections from their ongoing failures to address human rights abuses against Indigenous peoples. Bill C-92: An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families (2019) was heralded by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the federal government as the solution to the “humanitarian crisis” of First Nations children in foster care. The AFN in particular pushed hard for the legislation to pass in Parliament, despite widespread opposition and protests from First Nations from all over Canada. First Nations legal and child welfare experts also warned Parliament that C-92 did not align with Canada’s political promises and could in fact make things worse. They were right.”

Matthew Grace is the Managing Editor of The Lawyer’s Daily.