Articles exploring legal issues that shape our work. Recent news and stories
From landmark court decisions to emerging legal and policy developments, on this page we share insights into the issues shaping Indigenous law, public law, as well as business and personal law in Canada. Our lawyers offer clear, thoughtful updates to help you make sense of what’s changing, and understand why it matters for your work, your community or your organization.
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BC’s New Litigation Directives Encourage Negotiation over Litigation with Indigenous Peoples
The Province’s “new approach to litigation” seeks to transform the government’s relationship with Indigenous peoples by prioritizing alternative dispute resolution and negotiated settlement over adversarial, courtroom litigation that presents challenges to achieving reconciliation.
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Where Women Work, They Make A Difference: Ratcliff Celebrates IWD 2022
As a law firm that works with individuals and organizations from various backgrounds and cultures, often with reduced political agency, Ratcliff champions equality, diversity, and inclusion. Each day, we are fortunate to represent First Nations with female leadership, businesses with female founders, and families with women at their heart.
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Ahousaht: The Road to Recognizing Aboriginal Commercial Fishing Rights
In 2021, after nearly 20 years of litigation, the BC Court of Appeal recognized the commercial fishing rights of five Nuu-chah-nulth Nations. The case was based on the Nations’ historical and systematic exclusion from their traditional fishing territories and subsequent difficulty trading or selling fish.
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Landmark decision opens door to private law remedies for First Nations: A case summary of Thomas and Saik’uz First Nation v Rio Tinto Alcan Inc.
The BC Supreme Court ruled that Rio Tinto Alcan is interfering with Aboriginal fishing rights and causing harm to fish in the Nechako watershed. A team of Ratcliff lawyers worked in collaboration with the Sai’kuz and Stellat’en First Nations to advance the claim and achieve this significant step forward in Aboriginal Law in Canada.