Resources, Articles, & Advocacy
Legislative Update | April 27, 2026
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of April 20
OCJ Self Represented Trial Booking: Effective April 27, 2026, the Self Represented Trial Booking Calendar will launch to streamline the scheduling of eligible self-represented trials. These dedicated SharePoint calendars will be accessible to the Judiciary and Crown to allow eligible self-represented trials to be booked directly in the Self-Represented Court (SRC) Courtroom 101.
Legislative Update | April 10, 2026
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of April 6
To The Moon and Back: The Artemis II mission is returning to Earth and will splash down off the coast of San Diego Friday evening. Artemis II was the first journey to the moon in more than 50 years, and paves the way to a moon landing in the near future.
Article | March 31, 2026
Holdback is Always Holdback
In the days of the Construction Lien Act (the “CLA”), it used to be said that holdback lost its character as holdback and became trust funds once liens expired. But that has not been the case since the introduction of the Construction Act’s amendments in 2018. On an improvement to which the Construction Act applies, owners cannot avoid holdback payment obligations simply by waiting (with one strange, recent caveat). This article provides a brief overview of how holdback has been treated when it comes time for payment by the owner.
Advocacy | March 27, 2026
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of March 23
2026 Ontario Budget: On Thursday, the Ontario government released the 2026 Budget, A Plan to Protect Ontario. Justice sector spending is projected at $7.3 billion in 2026-27, and the overall deficit for 2026-27 is $13.8 billion, up from the $7.8 billion figure in the 2025 budget. You can read more about the budget and view the full document here.
Advocacy | March 27, 2026
OBA Update - Budget 2026
Justice sector expense is projected to increase from $7.2 billion in 2024–25 to $7.4 billion in 2028–29. Investments in the sector support enhanced border security, the expansion and construction of new correctional institutions, and public safety,
Article | March 25, 2026
The New Lien Right for the Supply of Design: Impact on Design Professionals and Owners
On January 1, 2026, several anticipated amendments to the Construction Act of Ontario (“CA”) came into effect including in respect of adjudication, proper invoices, and a new mandatory annual holdback release. A lesser talked about amendment has, for the first time since 2018,[1] expanded lien rights under the CA by creating a rebuttable presumption that those who supply pre-construction design services (“Design Professionals”) to a project before construction begins, can make a lien claim if an owner retains a holdback for their services.
