• P.E.I. farmer claims victory after settling lawsuit with CRA over shared tax information

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-21 22:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Taxation, Justice, Agriculture, Environment]

  Prince Edward Island potato farmer Alex Docherty, his son Logan Docherty, and their company Skye View Farms settled a $450,000 civil lawsuit in Federal Court against the Canada Revenue Agency in January 2026. The lawsuit alleged the Canada Revenue Agency unlawfully shared personal and corporate tax records with an environmental officer and a Crown prosecutor during a regulatory investigation stemming from a 2016 fish kill in Clyde River, for which Docherty was ultimately acquitted. While the Canada Revenue Agency cited taxpayer confidentiality provisions and declined to comment on the settlement, Docherty is calling on Members of Parliament to clarify or amend federal laws regarding the unauthorized sharing of tax data.

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• Supreme Court will hear appeal of federal ban on single-use plastics

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-15 14:56:24.0
  Tags: [National, Environment, Justice, Governance]

  The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear an appeal regarding the federal government's ban on single-use plastics under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. In 2021, the Liberal government classified plastic-manufactured items—such as grocery bags, cutlery, styrofoam containers, stir sticks, and straws—as toxic, prompting a legal challenge by the industry group Responsible Plastic Use Coalition. While a 2023 Federal Court ruling struck down the ban as sweeping and an overreach into provincial jurisdiction, the Federal Court of Appeal subsequently overturned that decision in January, upholding the toxic classification and restoring the regulations.

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• Carney government dealt an early blow in climate litigation

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-21 17:36:13.0
  Tags: [National, Environment, Climate, Justice, Governance]

  The Federal Court rejected a procedural motion by the federal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney to strike down a climate lawsuit brought by three young Canadians and two environmental groups, including Ecojustice. The lawsuit, filed in June 2026, challenges the Carney government's implementation of the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act and alleges that the administration eliminated key measures required to achieve Canada's 2030 emissions targets. Justice Patrick Gleeson ruled that the statutory use of the word 'may' in the legislation requires contextual evaluation rather than granting absolute ministerial discretion, allowing the environmental lawsuit to proceed to a full hearing.

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• N.B. regulator to review complaints about noise and odours near potato chips factory

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-04 19:13:35.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Agriculture, Environment, Justice, Municipal]

  Seventeen residents living near the Covered Bridge Potato Chips Ltd. facility in Woodstock, New Brunswick, have filed claims with the provincial Farm Practices Review Board alleging ongoing disruptions from noise, odours, and traffic resulting from the plant's conversion last year. Covered Bridge Potato Chips Ltd.'s legal counsel, Sheila Mecking, argues the facility qualifies as an agricultural operator under provincial legislation and asked the board to settle the case. Conversely, the residents' lawyer, Basile Chiasson, contends the board lacks jurisdiction, setting up a decision by the five-member board chaired by Maurice Maillet regarding whether to review the matter or allow the residents to pursue legal action at the Court of King’s Bench.

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• Carney government asks court to strike down climate litigation

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-08-29 08:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Environment, Climate, Justice, Governance]

  The federal government filed a motion in the Federal Court to strike down an environmental lawsuit brought by three youth and two advocacy groups, which demands that Ottawa amend its climate plan under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. The government argues in its legal submissions that the statute uses the permissive word "may" rather than "shall," imposing no legal obligation to update emissions targets or plans, and that federal courts lack the institutional capacity to direct national climate policy. The lawsuit challenges recent Liberal government rollbacks and policy changes that eliminated key measures required to achieve Canada's legally binding 2030 emissions reduction targets.

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