Resources, Articles, & Advocacy
Legislative Update | September 05, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of September 1
Province Promotes Labour Mobility Changes: On Labour Day, the Ontario government touted the breaking down of interprovincial barriers for professions such as architects, engineers, geoscientists, land surveyors, electricians and more.
Legislative Update | September 02, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of August 25
Government Rejects Most Amendments to Municipal Accountability Bill: The governing PCs voted down major proposed amendments to Bill 9, the Municipal Accountability Act, despite support for those changes from municipal leaders and other stakeholders during a summer-long consultation process across Ontario. One of the most significant proposals, brought forward by NDP MPP Jeff Burch, would have allowed a judge to make the final decision on whether to remove a municipal councillor from office following serious misconduct. The government defended its decision, with PC MPP Matthew Rae stating that allowing a judge to vacate an elected official’s seat would be unprecedented in Canadian history.
Legislative Update | August 27, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of August 18
Pipeline Corridor Faces Pushback Over Lack of Indigenous Consultation: A group representing seven First Nations in northern Ontario says the province's push for a cross-country pipeline is moving ahead without their voices and is in conflict with federally funded conservation work already underway. If approved, the East-West Canadian Energy Corridor would carry oil and gas from Alberta to refineries in southern Ontario. The premier has said the corridor would bring thousands of jobs and attract global investment.
Advocacy | August 11, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of August 5
OBA Honours ABA President: American Bar Association President William Bay accepted the 2025 Ontario Bar Association President’s Award on Thursday at the Bridging Borders event – a joint session of the ABA, OBA, Canadian Bar Association and CBA In-House Lawyers.
Legislative Update | July 21, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of July 14
First Nations Groups File Legal Challenge to Ontario’s Bill 5, Feds’ Bill C-5: A coalition of Ontario First Nations is taking legal action to try and throw out provincial and federal legislation designed to fast-track major projects, saying the two laws threaten their rights and “ways of life.” Nine First Nation groups are bringing urgent litigation to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to try and kill Ontario’s Bill 5 and the federal government’s Bill C-5. The Ford government passed Bill 5 in June, which allows it to create special economic zones where municipal and provincial laws can be suspended. Similarly, the federal Bill C-5 allows cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big projects deemed to be in the national interest, such as mines, ports and pipelines, by sidestepping existing laws.
Article | June 26, 2025
Who Let the Dogs Out? Quebec Court Denies Dogs’ Representative Plaintiff Status — But Opens the Door to Deeper Questions
In Lemieux c. Sanimax Lom inc., 2025 QCCS 371, the Superior Court of Quebec’s Chief Justice rejected an unconventional request: to allow four dachshunds to serve as parties and representative plaintiffs in a proposed environmental class action.
Article | June 09, 2025
"Not Litigation in the Ordinary Course": New Brunswick Court Comments on Individual Issues Procedures in Historical Abuse Class Action
After liability has been established in common, how far does the court's authority go to attenuate the ordinary litigation process in determining the damages to be awarded to individual class members? In Hayes v. The City of Saint John, 2025 NBKB 58, the New Brunswick Court of King's Bench held that the vulnerable nature of the class in a historical sexual abuse class action demanded that the individual issues phase of the litigation be dealt with on an expeditious basis.
Article | June 09, 2025
On One Condition: Ontario Court of Appeal confirms no “conditional” certification of class proceedings
The Ontario Court of Appeal in Knisley v. Canada (Attorney General), 2025 ONCA 185, has confirmed that a class proceeding cannot be certified on a conditional basis. On a motion for certification, a motion judge must either certify an action as a class proceeding where the certification test has been met or must deny certification where the criteria for certification have not been met.
