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

Matthew Grace

The Supreme Court of Canada has today ruled 9-0 on informer privilege — the details of which cannot be published for now because of a publication ban.

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

'Saskatchewan’s turn' for SCC judge some say after nominations close for western vacancy
Saskatchewan is overdue to be represented on the Supreme Court, as it’s been 55 years since its last appointment to the top court, say lawyers from the prairie province.

Privacy Commissioner calls for ‘amped-up’ powers for PIPEDA compliance via binding orders and AMPS
The federal Privacy Commissioner has asked Parliament for sweeping powers to compel businesses and other organizations to comply with the federal private-sector privacy law — including new authority to make binding orders and impose hefty administrative monetary penalties — measures opposed for the most part by industry groups, including the Canadian Bar Association, in their recent submissions to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

Experts dispute lawyers’ warning to MPs that impaired driving bill violates Charter
Organized legal groups are ringing alarm bells about the constitutionality of various proposed changes to the Criminal Code’s impaired driving provisions, but some legal academics contend the warnings are overblown.

Federation of Ontario Law Associations advises LSUC to be careful in its contingency fee review
The Law Society of Upper Canada has been in consultation since June over issues with contingency fee agreements, and now feedback from the profession is starting to come in.

Renegotiating NAFTA: Where the parties stand as third round begins
In their column, John Weekes and Matthew Kronby write: “While there are serious questions as to whether President Trump has the legal authority to make good on his threats to withdraw from NAFTA, no one can completely discount that he might try.”

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