Class-action Lawsuit Certified In B.C. Against Maker Of Herbicide That Allegedly Causes Parkinson's

In a significant and disappointing turn of events, the remaining sexual assault charges against former megachurch pastor Bruxy Cavey have been withdrawn in a Hamilton courtroom.

Following are our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of September 14, 2026.

Ontario's Rules of Civil Procedure now include strict amendments requiring lawyers and expert witnesses to certify the authenticity of every citation and authority used in court materials. These new anti-hallucination provisions impose significant penalties for presenting AI-generated fabricated authorities, fundamentally shifting accountability for artificial intelligence use in litigation.

A five-year-old firmware defect in Coldcard hardware wallets has enabled attackers to systematically drain an estimated $116 million in Bitcoin from over 5,200 victims since July 2026. This unprecedented exploit raises critical questions about manufacturer liability and creates two distinct legal pathways for recovery: blockchain tracing against the perpetrators and potential litigation against Canadian manufacturer Coinkite for product defects that undermined the fundamental security promise of devices mar

Deepfakes are reaching courts. Learn how a U.S. case dismissed for AI-generated evidence and Canadian authentication rules are changing what litigators must do now.

An application has been filed in Quebec to obtain authorization to institute a class action concerning the drugs Mounjaro, Trulicity, and Zepbound, alleging that the widely used diabetes and weight-loss medications...

When a purchaser fails to close on a real estate transaction, any deposit made towards the purchase will be automatically forfeited even where the seller suffered no loss. As a result, the purchaser may be losing out on tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A Canadian court awarded $800,000 in damages to a couple defamed by serious false allegations of sexual assault and criminal misconduct spread through social media. The case examines how factors like the severity of accusations, use of social media platforms, and a defendant's failure to mount a defense can dramatically escalate defamation damages beyond typical awards.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal has left open the possibility that pharmaceutical manufacturers may owe a duty of care to develop safer alternatives to their existing products, even when those products are properly approved and labeled. This decision in Gilead Sciences, Inc. v. I.F. contrasts sharply with a recent California Supreme Court ruling that rejected such a "duty to innovate," potentially setting Canada on a divergent path in product liability law.

The Ontario Court of Appeal has upheld a lower court's decision refusing to certify a class action alleging systemic childhood sexual abuse within Canadian Jehovah's Witness congregations. The ruling examines whether highly individualized abuse claims involving different perpetrators, activities, and locations across various congregations can satisfy the commonality requirements necessary for class action certification, or whether individual proceedings would better serve the interests of justice.

Canada's federal government has announced a $3.5 billion rapid response support package in anticipation of retaliatory tariffs against the United States, introducing new temporary employment insurance measures and workforce retention programs. The package extends EI benefits, waives waiting periods, and creates funding opportunities for employers to retain and retrain workers rather than implement large-scale layoffs.

Dianne spoke last month at the annual Canadian Water and Wastewater Association "Window on Ottawa", on potential risks to municipalities of the new Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations under the Fisheries Act, expected to appear shortly in the Canada Gazette.

An application has been filed in Quebec to obtain authorization to institute a class action concerning the drugs Mounjaro, Trulicity, and Zepbound, alleging that the widely used diabetes and weight-loss medications...

Recent amendments to Ontario's freedom of information laws have sparked controversy by creating exceptions for ministerial records, while the federal government introduces sweeping privacy legislation...

The United Kingdom program, Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments, provides excellent resources on contaminated site remediation.

A class action settlement has been reached with TD Asset Management Inc. for C$70.25 million to resolve the claims asserted on behalf of all persons...

Ontario is implementing major changes to auto insurance accident benefits starting July 1, 2026, shifting most coverage from mandatory to optional. Income replacement, caregiver benefits...

The Registry has been crucial to supporting public participation in environmental decision making in Ontario for nearly two decades.

Here is Dianne’s presentation to the Canadian Bar Association Mid-winter meeting in Halifax, on Contaminated Site Litigation after Inco.

The Ministry of Transportation ("MTO") is taking a closer look at what motivates the decisions Ontarians make about how they travel from city to city.