News broke yesterday that Ghomeshi has agreed to withdraw his $55M lawsuit against the CBC. His beef will be proceeding through arbitration. He will also be picking up the tab for the CBC’s $18,000 in legal costs. I don’t know for certain, but I had heard the CBC didn’t deliver a defence yet in the case but, had prepared a motion to strike the claim:

• http://advocatedaily.com/2014/11/newsalert-jian-ghomeshi-withdraws-lawsuit-against-cbc/
• http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/11/05/cbc_files_motion_to_dismiss_jian_ghomeshis_lawsuit.html

…. and now news breaks that Ghomeshi has surrendered to police and will be in court to face four charges of sexual assault and one charge for overcome resistance – choking:

http://torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/30572

Remember that teen aged girl in Halifax that committed suicide after a video of her being sexually assaulted at a party was passed around her school? After charges were laid against her alleged attackers, provisions in the Criminal Code kicked in making it illegal to publish her name. Her parents and a lot of others think that’s a dumb thing and are praising a local newspaper, the Chronicle Herald, for breaking that publication ban to bring attention to their daughter’s cause:

• http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1252984-second-young-man-pleads-guilty-in-rehtaeh-parsons-case
• http://advocatedaily.com/2014/11/father-praises-outlet-for-publishing-name-of-girl-at-centre-of-child-porn-case/

Part of a class action lawsuit launched after the 2012 e. Coli outbreak at the XL Foods processing plant in Brooks has been settled, tentatively:

• http://advocatedaily.com/2014/11/tentative-deal-to-settle-part-of-xl-foods-beef-recall-class-action-lawsuit/

An interesting article in the Financial Post about class action lawsuits stemming from changes to pensions and benefits. Justice Warren Winkler of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice is quoted as once declaring such suits the way of the future:

• http://business.financialpost.com/2014/11/26/benefit-changes-inspire-class-action-and-other-lawsuits/

A good summary and overview of the lower court’s decision in the BC Teachers’ Federation case that was decided a few weeks ago in a quick oral judgement from the bench by the SCC. The Union successfully argued that birth mothers are entitled to pregnancy leave benefits and parental leave benefits. The Employer had previously denied birth mothers from receiving parental leave benefits if they took advantage of pregnancy leave benefits:

• http://greggowe.com/content/discriminatory-provide-birth-mothers-same-amount-top-benefits-birth-fathers-adoptive-parents?utm_content=buffera0e77&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
• http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/2014/2014scc70/2014scc70.html