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

John Carson

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

The Lawyer's Daily is taking a publishing break for the holidays and will be back Wednesday, Dec. 27.

Supreme Court extends protection against employment-related discrimination
The Supreme Court has broadened protection from discrimination in the workplace beyond harassment perpetrated by a supervisor to include co-workers, even if they have different employers. In British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal v. Schrenk 2017 SCC 62, the court held that B.C.’s Human Rights Code (Code) “prohibits discrimination against employees whenever that discrimination has a sufficient nexus with the employment context.”

SCC slashes damages award against Deloitte, cuts scope of auditor’s liability in Livent case
In a 4-3 decision on the liability of auditors for negligent misrepresentation, the Supreme Court has slashed from $85 million to $40.5 million (plus interest) the damages that Deloitte LLP must pay to the receiver of its former client, Livent Inc., for negligently auditing the now-insolvent Toronto live entertainment company that was bedevilled by fraud.

Technology, entrepreneurship will set Ryerson law school apart, provost says
Ryerson University is gearing up to open a law school focused on innovation in either September 2019 or 2020, as the Federation of Law Societies of Canada has granted the school’s law program preliminary approval.

McLachlin succeeded by putting the law ahead of personal views | Julius Melnitzer
“I’ve never met former Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin. But I’ve read most of her judgments and written about many of them over the past 23 years. I’ve also read the accolades that accompanied her retirement. The opinions were unanimous, an undivided public and professional outpouring of affection, admiration and gratitude for someone who’s done so much for this country’s highest court and our respect for it.”

Nigerian-trained lawyer prospers in Calgary
Charles Osuji has had a lot of success in his life. At 31, he has already bought out his law partner and expanded the firm. To put that accomplishment into perspective, it should be noted Osuji was only called to the Alberta bar in 2014 after immigrating to Canada in 2011 as a foreign-trained lawyer.

John Carson is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Lawyer's Daily.