Justin J. Toh, Barrister & Solicitor

04/13/2026

Canadian immigration law recognizes that a risk of su***de or self-harm may justify pausing deportation. My latest article for the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association reviews the jurisprudence.

Link: https://cila.co/risks-of-su***de-and-deferrals-stays-of-removal-from-canada-le-risque-de-su***de-et-les-reports-sursis-de-renvoi-du-canada/

If you or a loved one is facing removal from Canada, and experiencing suicidal or self-destructive thoughts, please seek help from both a licensed mental health professional and an experienced lawyer.

Call or text Canada’s su***de crisis hotline at 9-8-8, or visit https://988.ca/

By Justin Jian-Yi Toh, Barrister & Solicitor. La version française suit. Canadian law recognizes that many people facing removal from Canada genuinely experience mental health challenges that can place their lives in danger. As Justice Fuhrer stated in Alayaki: the prospect of imminent removal may ...

04/13/2026

La loi canadienne sur l'immigration reconnaît qu'un risque de su***de ou d'automutilation peut justifier une suspension de l’expulsion. Mon article le plus récent pour l'Association canadienne des avocats en immigration passe en r***e la jurisprudence.

Lien : https://cila.co/risks-of-su***de-and-deferrals-stays-of-removal-from-canada-le-risque-de-su***de-et-les-reports-sursis-de-renvoi-du-canada/

Si vous ou un proche êtes menacé d'expulsion du Canada et avez des pensées suicidaires ou autodestructrices, veuillez consulter un professionnel de la santé mentale agréé et un avocat expérimenté.
Appelez ou envoyez un texto à la ligne d'écoute canadienne pour la prévention du su***de au 9-8-8, ou visitez le site https://988.ca/

By Justin Jian-Yi Toh, Barrister & Solicitor. La version française suit. Canadian law recognizes that many people facing removal from Canada genuinely experience mental health challenges that can place their lives in danger. As Justice Fuhrer stated in Alayaki: the prospect of imminent removal may ...

03/27/2026

"CILA notes with dismay that that Bill C-12 (the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act) has been given royal assent. [...]

Now the federal government will have the power to cancel immigration documents or stop applications whenever it deems it to be in the “public interest.” However, “public interest” remains undefined in the Act, opening the door to arbitrary actions by the government. Students and skilled workers could see their permits cancelled without explanation. Would-be immigrants could be told their applications have been cancelled after they have spent years waiting in line legally. This would hurt the credibility of the immigration system and also unfairly penalize applicants who are following the rules. [...]

Instead of an in-person hearing, refugees who have waited more than a year to claim asylum or those who have entered Canada from the U.S. by irregular means would have their claim assessed on paper by an immigration officer. No talking, no explaining, no face-to-face interaction and very little chance to appeal if the officer gets it wrong. The Act will not reduce the volume of refugee claims. It will just shift the flow from having a robust hearing in front of a refugee judge to a non hearing decided by an immigration officer."

CILA notes with dismay that that Bill C-12 (the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act) has been given royal assent. While border security is essential to the safety of Canadians, the changes the Act has made to our immigration system raise major concerns. The fairness that was ...

03/20/2026

I was proud to return as a sponsor and a French-language judge for the 2026 Immigration, Refugee & Citizenship Law Moot. Our Francophone students showed us some impressive advocacy skills this year!

Thank you to my brethren justices Aisling Bondy and Geneviève Therrien, as well as our registrar officer Coco Wang, for working with me to give the mooters a worthy challenge. Special thanks also to everyone on the Organizing Committee for ensuring everything ran smoothly, to everyone on the Rules Committee for keeping the competition fair, and to everyone on the Content Committee for constructing a thought-provoking, multi-layered, and relevant problem!

03/20/2026

J'étais fier de revenir en tant que commanditaire et juge francophone pour le concours de plaidoirie en droit de l'immigration, des réfugiés et de la citoyenneté de 2026. Nos étudiants francophones ont fait preuve d'un talent oratoire impressionnant cette année !

Merci à mes collègues juges Aisling Bondy et Geneviève Therrien, ainsi qu'à notre greffière Coco Wang, pour leur précieuse collaboration d’offrir aux participants un défi à la hauteur de leurs ambitions. Un merci tout particulier à tous les membres du Comité organisateur d’assurer le bon déroulement du concours, à ceux du Comité des règles d’assurer à l'équité du concours, et à ceux du Comité de contenu pour la rédaction d’un problème théorique complexe, stimulant, et pertinent !

03/05/2026

Donate to help UNICEF deliver urgent, life-saving aid to children in the Middle East..

02/18/2026

Je suis fier de voir la société civile se rassembler pour explique au Sénat exactement comment le projet de loi C-12 non seulement nuira aux migrants et aux réfugiés, mais ne fera qu'empirer le fonctionnement du système.

Regardez la diffusion en direct à partir de 10 h 06 min 05 s : https://senparlvu.parl.gc.ca/harmony/fr/powerbrowser/powerbrowserv2?fk=684031&globalstreamid=3

02/18/2026

I am proud to see civil society coming together to explain to the Senate exactly how Bill C-12 will not just harm migrants and refugees, but also make the system run worse.

Watch the stream starting from 10:06:05: https://senparlvu.parl.gc.ca/harmony/en/powerbrowser/powerbrowserv2?fk=684031&globalstreamid=3

02/17/2026

Merci à l’équipe du bureau des visas d’Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada à Mexico pour son accueil chaleureux, et pour nos échanges francs afin de faciliter un traitement de l’immigration fondé sur des principes et le pragmatisme. J'espère que ce sera la première des plusieurs pas vers l’instauration d'une culture de transparence et de dialogue entre notre gouvernement et les personnes les plus touchées par ses décisions.

Merci également à Lisa Middlemiss et à la section québécoise de l’Association du Barreau canadien pour leur excellent travail dans l’organisation de cet échange. C'est toujours un plaisir d'échanger des conseils pratiques avec mes collègues de Montréal, de Québec, de Winnipeg et d’ailleurs !

02/17/2026

Thank you to the team at Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada’s visa office in Mexico City for such a warm welcome, and for sharing frank conversations about how we can work together to facilitate principled and practical immigration processing. I hope this will become the first of many steps towards a culture of transparency and dialogue between our government and the people most affected by its decisions.

Thank you also to Lisa Middlemiss and the Quebec section of the Canadian Bar Association for your excellent work organizing this exchange. It is always a pleasure to swap practice tips with my colleagues from Montreal, Quebec City, Winnipeg, and beyond!

02/10/2026

C'est le Défi push-up 2026 ! Nous collectons des fonds pour l'Association canadienne pour la santé mentale afin d'aider les personnes atteintes de maladie mentale. Chaque participant fait 2 000 pompes pour les ~2 000 personnes qui meurent par le su***de chaque jour dans le monde.

Donnez ici : https://www.thepushupchallenge.ca/fundraisers/justintoh161574

Stantec doublera les premiers 100 000 $ CA de dons reçus à partir de midi (HNE) le 11 février 2026. Tout don, petit ou grand, est apprécié ! Et si vous voulez améliorer votre santé, joignez-vous à notre communauté et poussez pour le mieux avec nous !

The Pushup Challenge CMHA National

I'm completing 2,000 push-ups in 23 days to raise awareness and funds for the Canadian Mental Health Association. Please support me as I from February 5-27.All proceeds help the Canadian Mental Health Association to support mental illness recovery and foster positive mental health in....