Professional sport has officially arrived in Halifax. The Halifax Hurricanes have been competing in the National Basketball League of Canada since late-2015; the HFX Wanderers almost won the Canadian Premier League in its second season; rumours of a Canadian Football League team coming to Halifax continue to swirl[1]; and the Halifax Thunderbirds were at the […]
COVID-19 has dominated our world for the past year. It has touched every facet of our lives. It has resulted in ever-changing rules, policies and procedures being implemented that affect the way we work, shop, socialize and engage in extra-curricular activities. Employers, in particular, have been required to radically change the way things have always […]
In a year like no other, there have been steady developments in the landscape of employment & labour and human rights law. Some of these developments were long anticipated, including the effect of termination on bonus compensation and the legality of mandatory arbitration clauses in the gig economy. Perhaps the most interesting cases, however, are […]
What do employment contracts and termination letters have in common? They both have the potential to end, or at least limit, an employer’s liability in the event of a termination. However, to be effective, they must be properly drafted. A termination letter that fails to assert just cause for termination, and specify the reasons for […]
In times of financial uncertainty, employers seeking to cut costs may quickly turn to temporary layoffs. From the employer’s point of view, layoffs offer an opportunity to press “pause” on its obligations to employees in the short-term while still maintaining the employment relationship in the long-term. Failing to handle layoffs properly, however, may leave the […]
What is the “standard of review”? In considering a challenge to the decision of an arbitrator, tribunal or other administrative body, whether by appeal or judicial review, this is always a fundamental question. Yet, finding the right answer has remained one of the most confusing legal questions out there. This has resulted in seemingly inconsistent […]
The facts in Noel v. Butler, 2016 NBCA 49, [Noel] are not complicated. This was a fourteen year common law relationship spanning from approximately 1998 until 2012. Ms. Butler had been a teacher since 1985 and had pension with a commuted value of $909,286.51 as of the date of separation.
These days, almost every couple lives together for a period of time before they get married, and increasingly, more and more couples never get married at all.