Government Regulation and Public Sector Law

Les droits de douane jouent un rôle clé dans les relations commerciales internationales; ils influencent directement les industries et les économies des pays concernés. La chronologie suivante retrace les événements marquants liés aux mesures tarifaires mises en place par le Canada et les États-Unis.

This is the latest on the integration of repowered facilities in the second window of the Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) Long-Term 2 (LT2) Request for Proposals (RFP) and Medium-Term 3 (MT3) RFP.

The Divisional Court's decision in Land Design Inc. v. Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corp. establishes critical boundaries for judicial review of procurement decisions and clarifies bidder obligations under no-contact rules. When does a procurement decision become sufficiently public to warrant court intervention, and what responsibility do bidders bear when their employees engage with prohibited government officials during an active RFP process?

On October 16, 2026, the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) released its judgment in CNL Ltd. v. Kebaowek First Nation et al., 2026 FCA 174, which allowed the appeal of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL).

The case of Bayliss v. Burnham examines a contested will of a First Nation individual with substantial assets, raising critical questions about digital signatures, ministerial oversight under the Indian Act, and the application of common law principles to Indigenous estate planning. This decision highlights the complex intersection of federal legislation, provincial law, and customary practices that govern testamentary matters for status Indians residing on reserve.

The Court of Appeal for Ontario’s decision in Heegsma v. Hamilton (City)[1] is the latest in a series of cases considering the legality of municipal bylaws and their enforcement in relation to encampments by unhoused individuals.

On October 16, 2026, the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) released its judgment in CNL Ltd. v. Kebaowek First Nation et al., 2026 FCA 174, which allowed the appeal of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL).

On October 9, 2026, the Court of Appeal of Alberta released its decision in Reference re Impact Assessment Act, as amended, 2026 ABCA 320 (2026 IAA Reference)

Canada's Indigenous procurement framework requires more than nominal ownership. Recent scrutiny reveals that businesses must demonstrate meaningful Indigenous control, participation, and economic benefit, while federal buyers face pressure to ensure opportunities translate into real Indigenous economic outcomes. The rules operate at multiple levels, creating a substantive compliance exercise that extends well beyond the familiar "51% Indigenous-owned" threshold.

Foreign exchange bureaus operating in Canada are subject to a comprehensive compliance regime under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, administered primarily by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, alongside tax reporting obligations enforced by the Canada Revenue Agency.

Ontario's Ministry of the Attorney General is considering amendments to introduce unexplained wealth orders (UWOs), a new investigative tool that would compel individuals to explain the origin of their property when there's a significant mismatch between known lawful income and apparent wealth. The proposed regime would shift the burden of proof to respondents and could be used to support civil forfeiture proceedings targeting proceeds of unlawful activity.

Canada's anti-money laundering enforcement regime is undergoing a seismic shift, with FINTRAC issuing record penalties and new legislation increasing penalty caps by up to 40 times. Understanding how to navigate the enforcement pipeline—from examination through Federal Court litigation—is now critical for reporting entities facing unprecedented regulatory scrutiny.