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

Matthew Grace

Given the upcoming long weekend, here is a Thursday edition of The Friday Brief. The Lawyer’s Daily will not be publishing on April 2 and April 5. We will be back on Tuesday, April 6.

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

RCMP gets green light to act on domestic violence disclosure law
The RCMP is now able to participate in legislation currently enabling police in two provinces to disclose a person’s prior instances of intimate partner violence to someone they feel may be at risk.

Ontario’s youth bail system failing disadvantaged, racialized young people, says report
Young people in Ontario’s youth bail system can breach bail conditions in some cases by simply not doing the dishes — a seemingly innocuous transgression that can land them right back in youth court.

Alberta Court of Appeal rules couple must face third trial in death of young son
In yet another twist to a tragic legal case, David Stephan and Collet Stephan have been ordered by the Court of Appeal of Alberta to stand trial for a third time on charges of failing to provide the necessaries of life to their 19-month old son Ezekiel, who died of bacterial meningitis in 2012. The couple used herbal and naturopathic supplements to treat his illness, seeking medical intervention only towards the very end.

Ontario budget outlines plans to modernize, expand mandate of securities regulator
The Ontario government is moving ahead with plans to modernize the province’s securities regulator after a task force report earlier this year recommended sweeping reform to equip it with more tools to better deal with rapid change in the global financial systems.

Ramifications of Supreme Court’s carbon pricing decision
In their analysis article, Caroline Jageman and Michael Killeavy write: “On March 25, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada handed down its decision on the constitutionality of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (GGPPA). The Supreme Court held that the GGPPA was constitutional (Reference re Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act 2021 SCC 11).”

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