Articles

Did you know that experts whose services are retained by a syndic for a disciplinary complaint enjoy immunity under the Professional Code?

As a result of new provisions in the Canada Labour Code (the “Code”) that came into force on December 1, 2022, Canadian workers in federally regulated sectors are now entitled to ten days of medical leave. The change was first announced by the government more than a year ago, so that  workers who were unwell would no longer have to choose between self-isolating and receiving pay.

On February 1st, 2023, the Government of Québec tabled Bill 8, An Act to improve justice efficiency and accessibility, in particular by promoting mediation and arbitration and by simplifying civil procedure in the Court of Québec (the “Bill”). Its aim, according to the Minister of Justice, is to provide efficient, accessible, faster and less expensive justice services.

In December 2022, Montreal hosted the 15th Conference of the Parties (“COP15”) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (“CBD”). The global meeting adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (“Kunming-Montreal Framework”), a non-binding agreement that sets historic goals and targets but leaves the means to achieve them in the hands of party states.

Quebec has proven a highly attractive location for data centres, but a recent Quebec Court of Appeal decision adds a caveat: certain equipment and infrastructure can be deemed to increase an immovable property’s value and, consequently, its tax assessment. The Court’s ruling and the reasoning behind it have far-reaching repercussions for other sectors.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has rendered an eagerly awaited decision on the use of a trademark in the virtual world of non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”). This landmark ruling is likely to be the first of many.