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Good morning.Following are our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of May 4, 2026.
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In Dorceus v. Ontario, the Court dismissed an appeal brought by more than 400 healthcare workers challenging
COURT OF APPEAL SUMMARIES (April 27-April 31)
Jump To: Table of Contents | Civil Decisions | Short Civil Decisions
Good afternoon.
Following are our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of April 27, 2026.
Continue ReadingIn Chubb Insurance Company of Canada v. Zurich Insurance Company, the Court allowed an appeal. It…
February 2026 Opinion Roundup
By Rox Laird
The Iowa Supreme Court issued opinions in eleven cases in February 2026, At the links immediately below, you can read On Brief’s analysis of the following opinions:
- Beecher Store, Inc. v. Iowa Department of Revenue Alcoholic Beverages Division, No. 24-1422, concerning whether a statute imposing enhanced penalties for second violations unlawfully selling alcohol to
…
COURT OF APPEAL SUMMARIES (April 20 – APRIL 24)
Jump To: Table of Contents | Civil Decisions | Short Civil Decisions
Good afternoon.
Following are our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of April 20, 2026.
Continue ReadingIn Rajic v. MacDonald, the Court held that the public interest threshold under the anti-SLAPP provisions…
Attorney-client privilege curbs State Auditor’s subpoena power, Iowa Supreme Court holds
By Rox Laird
The State Auditor has broad access under Iowa law to state and local records in conducting audits, including otherwise confidential information, but the Auditor’s access does not extend to records shielded by attorney-client privilege, the Iowa Supreme Court held in an April 17 decision.
State Auditor Rob Sand served a subpoena on the City…
Please Read the Rules (and Other Good Advice): A Day With the Maine Supreme Judicial Court
Buckle up for a long (but informative!) post, everyone.
On March 30, 2026, the Maine State Bar Association hosted an all-day seminar on appellate practice before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. The seminar featured ten separate educational sessions, each led by one or more current Law Court Justices. Court staff, a Maine Law professor, and…
Iowa Supreme Court holds a general contractor is not liable for injuries to a subcontractor’s employee
By Rox Laird
The Iowa Supreme Court reversed a $20.5 million Polk County jury verdict against homebuilder D.R. Horton for negligence arising from a subcontractor’s employee being briefly buried under several feet of dirt while working in a trench. The Court held that under Iowa law general contractors ordinarily do not owe a duty of care to the…
COURT OF APPEAL SUMMARIES (April 13 – APRIL 17)
Jump To: Table of Contents | Civil Decisions | Short Civil Decisions
Good afternoon.
Following are our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of April 13, 2026.
Continue ReadingIn Hartman v. Canada (Attorney General), the Court dismissed an appeal arising from the tragic death of…
Dear Alaska: We know our own constitution, thank you very much.
On April 6, 2026, the Justices of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court handed down their respective opinions in the latest “solemn occasion” proceeding, this one concerning ranked-choice voting. If this sounds familiar to you, it’s because this is the second such solemn occasion concerning ranked-choice voting, with the last one in 2017. In both solemn…
Alternatives to Horizontal Stare Decisis
Suppose the Supreme Court of North Carolina jettisoned In re Civil Penalty—the case requiring panels of the Court of Appeals to treat earlier Court of Appeals panel opinions as binding precedent. What system would take its place?
This is no mere hypothetical. As my colleague Morgan Reece pointed out last week, at least…