News

The new BC Building and Plumbing Code will be effective December 10, 2018 and will apply to building permits applied for on or after that date. The BC Fire Code is anticipated to be adopted in the fall of 2018 and effective December 10, 2018. Buildings with permits in place under the previous 2012 BC Building Code will generally not be affected by the adoption of the new code.

Non-Americans who are “inadmissible” are not permitted by law to enter or remain in the United States—whether it be as visitors, students or workers.

On February 5, 2018, B.C.'s provincial government announced key policy decisions on the regulation of consumer cannabis in the province.

As the countdown to the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada begins, provinces and would-be producers alike have been busy speculating on the potential product packaging and labelling parameters under the proposed Cannabis Act regulations.

Medically authorized marijuana is currently legal in Canada and in 2018, it is expected that recreational marijuana will become legal as well. Employers should take a proactive approach in dealing with this changing landscape, and to this end, we have outlined some key action items below.

Nominations for Queen's Counsel are now being accepted. The nomination process will end July 20, 2018 at 4:30 pm.

On January 23rd, the eleven remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement announced the conclusion of their discussions on a revised free trade agreement. Re-branded the “Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership” (CPTPP), the new deal is expected to be signed on or about March 8th at a ceremony in Chile.

Round six of the NAFTA negotiations concluded in Montreal on January 29, 2018. Trade ministers from Canada, the United States and Mexico rejoined the talks this round with the aim of creating movement on contentious chapters.

On September 21, 2017, a landmark trade deal between Canada and the European Union (“EU”), the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (“CETA” or the “Agreement”), came into provisional effect after almost a decade of negotiations. Provisional application of CETA is a milestone achievement which ushers in a number of significant changes to the Canadian legal and regulatory landscape.

If you’d like to volunteer your time by lending your know-how to the legal community, please consider joining a Practice Advisory Panel that corresponds with your area of expertise. CBABC is now accepting volunteer applications from members.