Here are some of the stories, articles, cases and reports that caught the attention of JFK Law’s lawyers and staff this month.

IN THE NEWS

Senate Committee on Transport and Communications recommends overhaul of pipeline approval process, The National Post.

The Government of Canada released a statement with 10 principles respecting its relationship with Indigenous peoples (see editorial below by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of Canada, Jody Wilson-Raybould).

On National Aboriginal Day, CBC Radio interviewed Chief Warren Paull, of the Shishalh Nation about a new exhibit at the Sunshine Coast Museum: First Peoples: KWEKWINMUT Pieces of the Past

First Nations communities uniquely affected by B.C. wildfires, Coast Mountain News.

EDITORIAL AND OPINION

Romeo Saganash, MP expresses his dismay about the state of affairs in Canada given its colonial realities in this Globe and Mail editorial.

Matthew Coon-Come, the departing Grand Chief of the Crees in Northern Quebec, expresses hope that relations between First Nations and the rest of Canada are turning a corner in his editorial in the Globe and Mail.

Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of Canada: Beyond denial: Indigenous reconciliation requires recognition, Globe and Mail.

CASELAW

Challenges from eligibility decisions made by electoral offices must be brought within 30 days of the eligibility decision being made, not from the date of the election.  This is good news for First Nations wanting to avoid post-election chaos: Meeches v. Assiniboine, 2017 FCA 123

Decisions of adjudicators in residential schools claims are afforded very high levels of deference by the courts and rarely will judicial review of these decisions be allowed: Fontaine v. Canada (Attorney General), 2017 BCSC 946

PAPERS AND REPORTS

Canada released a discussion paper outlining its responses to various recommendations made for the reform of environmental assessment and regulatory processes. Comments on this paper are due by August 28, 2017.