The Friday Brief

Matthew Grace

Here are my picks for the must-read stories we published this week.
 
Insistence on French for SCC judges could block historic appointment of first Indigenous judge
The Trudeau government’s pledge to fill the Supreme Court of Canada’s impending western vacancy with a bilingual jurist who can function in French is liable to block the historic appointment of its first Indigenous judge, lawyers say.

Quebec Superior Court judges launch suit against governments
In an extraordinary development at a time when the justice system in Quebec is grappling with the after-effects of the landmark Jordan ruling, Quebec Superior Court judges have launched a suit against the federal and provincial government over the exclusive jurisdiction of the Court of Quebec in some civil matters.

Federal Court denies request to set time limits on immigration detention
The federal government can either change the law and regulations regarding the length of time a person can be held in immigration detention, or lawyers representing former detainees are prepared to go all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada to request limits be imposed on periods of incarceration in those cases.

BlackBerry class action to decide whether employees were fired or resigned
A hearing to determine whether a lawsuit launched by employees of BlackBerry Ltd. in February can proceed as a class action is scheduled for April 4-6, 2018, in Ottawa.
 
New concussion protocol called 'excellent first step,' but concerns remain
The federal government has released a protocol to follow when dealing with concussions in sport, and while some are calling it a positive start, others are raising alarm bells about the lack of requirements for those who have suffered multiple injuries.

Liability waivers becoming a foe, not friend to the public interest
In her column, Sandra Kovacs writes that a recent decision from British Columbia has once again sparked the recurring debate over the virtues of protecting for-profit recreational operators from liability and compensating consumers who are injured in the course of a recreational activity.

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