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.

PM respects tradition of alternating top judges between Quebec and rest of Canada, names Wagner the SCC’s new chief justice
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has named Justice Richard Wagner — the top court’s senior Quebec puisne judge — as the 18th chief justice of Canada, succeeding Beverley McLachlin on Dec. 18.

Tributes roll in for Chief Justice McLachlin’s remarkable career as judge, leader and role model
The top court’s longest serving chief justice, and its first female leader, spent her last night as Canada’s top judge Dec. 14 hearing heartfelt tributes from three governors general (past and present), three prime ministers (past and present), amid standing ovations for her incomparable record of service — 36 years as a judge, 28 years on the Supreme Court and 18 years as chief justice of Canada.

SCC clarifies proprietary estoppel in novel B.C. estates dispute
The Supreme Court has liberalized the test for — and expanded the scope of — proprietary estoppel in a B.C. estates case involving a bitter dispute between two brothers and their older sister.

Good advocacy ‘exceptionally’ important to Supreme Court’s incoming judge Martin
Litigators take note: the Supreme Court of Canada’s latest nominee says she sets great store by incisive legal advocacy that helps her to do her job.

CRA investigating ‘shadow flipping’ of Toronto condos
In her analysis article Sabina Mexis writes: The booming residential real estate market in Canada has caused the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to engage in increased scrutiny of the practice of “shadow flipping” or “assignment sales.”

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