This Month in NS Family Law – May 2021
Our NS Family Law team provides summaries of the May cases which appeared in the Nova Scotia Supreme Court and the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.
Hands Off: Appeal Court Decision Strikes Border Agents’ Warrantless Device...
Travelers crossing into Canada must provide their device passwords for Border Security Officers upon request in order to facilitate searches. This creates significant privacy implications for all travelers but lawyers, in particular, should be aware of the scope of the Canadian Border Services Agency’s searching authority, which could impact their duty of confidentiality and solicitor-client privilege.
Safe House? How Smart Home Devices Pose Digital Security Risks
Our increased focus on online connectivity has also created new cybersecurity risks regarding the unauthorized access and use of sensitive information. These threats are heightened by the fact that many Canadians were already vulnerable before the pandemic given their use of smart home devices.
Signing Estate Planning Documents in New Brunswick During COVID-19
Introduction Until recently, New Brunswick law required that individuals meet in the physical presence of witnesses – and in certain cases, lawyers – to execute a valid Will or Enduring Power of Attorney. On December 18, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which made in-person meetings more difficult and less safe, the New Brunswick […]
Worker’s Refusal to Wear a Mask on the Basis of...
The mandatory requirement to wear face masks in indoor public settings, subject to certain exemptions, has resulted in a surge of human rights complaints, alleging that this requirement is discriminatory in the areas of services and facilities available to the public and employment. In response to this surge of complaints, the British Columbia Human Rights […]
Renewed potential: Regulation of offshore wind in Canada’s ocean playground
Long thought to be unreliable due to inconsistent output, renewable wind energy is now primed for growth in Atlantic Canada and Nova Scotia could play a leading role. Advancements in energy storage, load smoothing/shaping, and electrical grid capacity have lessened concerns over energy shortfalls and grid overload stemming from discrete weather events. The result is […]
Nova Scotia’s new Biodiversity Act
Nova Scotia has a new Biodiversity Act (the “Act”) that will give the Minister of Lands and Forestry (the “Minister”) the power to, among other things, create Biodiversity Management Zones (a “BMZ”) for the purpose of the conservation or sustainable use of specified biodiversity values. The Act, originally introduced in 2019, is perhaps more notable for the […]
This Month in NS Family Law – April 2021
Our NS Family Law team provides summaries of recent cases which have appeared in the Nova Scotia Supreme Court and the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.
What federally mandated net-zero emission targets mean to Nova Scotia
Federal legislation designed to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will be felt strongly in Nova Scotia. In the event the Bill is passed (it is currently in its second reading) it will further impact Nova Scotian emitters already subject to strict emission, monitoring and reporting standards. The proposed new legislation should surprise nobody. […]
Significant Changes to the Divorce Act RSC 1985 c 3
Parliament passed Bill C-78, an Act to Amend the Divorce Act, which received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019 and came into force March 1, 2021, amending the Divorce Act RSC 1985 c 3 (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”). The amendments to the Divorce Act are substantial, the first significant updates to the Act […]