Resources, Articles, & Advocacy
Advocacy | May 01, 2026
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of April 27
Municipal Codes of Conduct: The Province indicated it will move on long-delayed reforms to Municipal Codes of Conduct before Municipal elections occur in October. It would create a province-wide Code and provide for the removal and disqualification of sitting councilors in serious cases.
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.
Award | April 22, 2026
From Paper Files to Digital Trust: Canada's Privacy Act May Be Getting a 21st Century Makeover
Canada has launched a modernization review of the federal Privacy Act, led by the Treasury Board via a public consultation and discussion paper. The review seeks input on improving services, strengthening digital-age privacy protections, and updating oversight—covering themes like accountability, safeguards, and a stronger compliance regime. Consultations run until July 10, 2026, with findings expected in the winter 2026–27.
Article | April 14, 2026
Empowering the Consumer: The Rise of Consumer-Driven Banking in Canada
Canada is advancing toward implementing a consumer-driven banking framework, also known as open banking, which aims to empower consumers and small businesses by allowing secure sharing of financial data with authorized entities via APIs, eliminating the need for risky screen scraping methods. Article summarizes historical development, recent progress in CDBA and outlines what consumers can expect in 2026 and 2027.
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 | April 08, 2026
Beyond Classification: Developing Legal Protections for Neurotechnology
Neurotechnology is rapidly expanding from clinical use into consumer markets, enabling the collection of highly sensitive neural data that can reveal thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. Regulators in Canada, the EU, and the U.S. have begun addressing this by classifying neural data as sensitive personal information under existing or new privacy laws. However, focusing solely on classification may leave significant gaps, especially where non-neural data can be used to infer mental states or where technologies evolve beyond current definitions. Experts and organizations like the World Economic Forum argue that a broader, technology-neutral regulatory approach is needed. In response, UNESCO’s 2025 Recommendation proposes a more comprehensive framework that goes beyond data classification to address the full lifecycle of neurotechnology. It emphasizes protections for both neural and related data, stronger consent and consumer safeguards, cybersecurity standards, and limits on commercial misuse. Overall, the trend is toward more flexible, future-proof regulation that governs not just data, but neurotechnology as a whole.
Article | April 02, 2026
Scraping The Surface: The Clearview AI Cases and Testing the Limits of Technological Neutrality
Clearview AI’s facial recognition technology, which collects images from publicly accessible online sources, has led to significant privacy law challenges and litigation in Canada. The legal scrutiny focuses on issues of consent, the classification of publicly available information, and the applicability of existing privacy laws to modern data practices.
Article | April 02, 2026
Navigating Ambush Marketing Laws in Canada
As Canada prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, businesses face legal risks from ambush marketing, which involves unauthorized association with major events either through direct IP infringement or indirect suggestive tactics, both of which harm official sponsors and mislead the public. Canada lacks a broad legal ban on ambush marketing except for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but consumer protection and IP laws like the Competition Act, Trademarks Act, and Copyright Act provide remedies against misleading representations and unauthorized use of protected marks and artistic works, with penalties including injunctions, damages, and substantial fines. Advertisers and event organizers are advised to carefully review campaigns and contracts to avoid legal violations and protect brand integrity, seeking legal guidance as needed.
