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Procedural Law

APPEAL WATCH: Forfeiture Of Offence-Related Property Explored In Nguyen

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) is set to hear the appeal of Nguyen c. Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, 2024 QCCA 674 [Nguyen] where the Court of Appeal of Québec (“QCCA”) overturned the decision of the Court of Québec, which held that it had jurisdiction to hear the application of the prosecution [41400].

Saskatchewan v Métis Nation: SCC on Multiple Proceedings, Duty to Consult, and Abuse of Process

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) has dismissed the appeal in Saskatchewan (Environment) v Métis Nation, 2025 SCC 4 [Métis Nation]. A unanimous court found that proceedings for judicial review which raise similar issues to ongoing or past litigation do not inherently amount to an abuse of process. In doing so, the SCC has clarified the extent to […]

APPEAL WATCH: Revisiting the admissibility of similar fact evidence in R v Chizanga

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) will soon hear the appeal of R v Chizanga, 2024 ONCA 545 [Chizanga], in which it will opine on the principles of admitting evidence of prior discreditable conduct [41405].  Building upon the seminal case of R v Handy, 2002 SCC 56 [Handy] which set out the principles for the admissibility of such evidence, this appeal […]

Solicitor-Client Privilege Presumption Upended In Sakab Saudi

Solicitor-client privilege remains a fundamental right which is only displaced where absolutely necessary. The court in Sakab Saudi Holding Company v Al Jabri, 2025 ONSC 35 [Sakab Saudi] upheld the presumption of solicitor-client privilege protection to a law firm’s trust ledger but found that the motion judge erred in extending that same presumption to the […]

R v Stevenson: SCC upholds conviction on Vetrovec testimony

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) has dismissed the appeal in R v Stevenson, 2024 SCC 41 [Stevenson], upholding a trial judge’s decision to convict based on the evidence of an unsavoury or Vetrovec witness. This case was heard by the SCC as of right from the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal (“SKCA”) 2024 SKCA 40 […]

Sanis Health Inc v British Columbia: Flexible Federalism Permits National Class Action on Opioids

In Sanis Health Inc v British Columbia, 2024 SCC 40 [Sanis], the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) upheld British Columbia’s power to represent other Canadian governments in a national class action under its Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act, SBC 2018, c 35 [ORA]. Nearly all provincial, territorial, and federal governments supported the […]

APPEAL WATCH: SCC To Weigh In On Estoppel In Patrick Street

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) is set to address critical questions regarding mortgage obligations which create issues of estoppel in the appeal [41296] of Patrick Street Holdings Limited v 11368 NL Inc., 2024 NLCA 11 [Patrick Street].The case raises significant issues about the application of estoppel doctrines and stands to have wide-ranging implications for […]

Clarifying Corroborative Evidence and Hearsay: R v Charles

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) in R v Charles, 2024 SCC 29 [Charles] has clarified the approach to using corroborative evidence to establish the reliability of hearsay evidence. Moreau J, writing for the majority, allowed the appeal and ordered a new trial on the basis that an out-of-court statement by a witness at trial […]

R v Kruk: Bringing Sense Back to Common-Sense Assumptions

In R v Kruk, 2024 SCC 7 [Kruk], the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) rejected the “rule against common-sense assumptions,” affirming the importance and necessity of trial judges’ common-sense reasoning to their credibility assessments. This decision is significant for two reasons: (1) it sets out the narrow role that myths and stereotypes as legal errors […]