Resources, Articles, & Advocacy
Legislative Update | January 23, 2026
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of January 19
EV Boycott: Premier Ford is calling on Canadians to boycott Chinese-made EVs following a deal between Canada and China to allow up to 49,000 vehicles to enter Canada tariff-free.
Legislative Update | January 20, 2026
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of January 12
Premier Ford and China EVs: Following Prime Minister Carney’s meeting with Chinese President Xi, Premier Ford has raised alarm bells about the impact cheap Chinese EVs would have on Ontario's auto sector. The Premier has called the deal, which would allow up to 49,000 Chinese EVs to enter Canada tariff-free, as a lopsided deal.
Legislative Update | January 12, 2026
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of January 5
Premier Ford to Turn Over Personal Phone Records: The Ford government’s request for a judicial review of two IPC rulings on access to the Premier’s private phone logs was dismissed. In their decision, the judges wrote, “The conclusion that the Premier used his personal cellphone to conduct Cabinet Office matters is a finding of fact that attracts a high degree of deference.” The Premier’s office will be seeking leave to appeal the decision.
Submission | December 02, 2025
Bill 60, Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025
The OBA provides comments and recommendations to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing regarding proposed amendments to the Construction Act, Residential Tenancies Act, and Municipal-Related Acts (Development Charges Act, Highway Traffic Act, Planning Act, Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act, and Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act)
Article | October 24, 2025
Over-Policing of Minorities & Charter Values: How the Charter Value of Equality Should Shape the Standard of Care
The question at the heart of this article is whether the appropriate standard of care in negligence related to the maintenance and use of police databases by law enforcement and other related agencies should be interpreted in light of the Charter value of equality. In the authors’ view, the standard of care in negligence cases against law enforcement has been a relatively low bar and has been informed by law enforcement policies. The authors take the position this is true of cases involving police databases as well. Recently, the Supreme Court of Canada and the Ontario Court of Appeal have recognized that the over-policing of minorities violates the equality guarantees in s. 15 of the Charter. In the authors’ view, the data stored in police databases reflects the reality of this discriminatory over-policing. Put differently, the authors take the position that over-policing results in the over-representation of racial minorities in police databases. Given the underlying constitutional violations associated with over-policing, it is the authors’ position that cases involving the negligent maintenance or use of such databases engage the Charter value of equality. Charter rights are conceptually distinct from Charter values, but Charter values nevertheless underpin each Charter right and give it meaning. Charter values can apply even where a Charter right is not engaged. Tort law has long been developed in light of Charter values. In the authors’ view, the tort of negligence should be similarly developed. Specifically, when formulating and applying the standard of care in relation to the maintenance and use of police databases, courts should appropriately scrutinize existing policies and procedures, including any discriminatory impact of seemingly neutral policies.
