Ontario court awards $210K in costs against FSRA in Brewers Retail pension case
By Julius Melnitzer | June 28, 2022 An Ontario Superior Court judge is awarding Brewers Retail Inc. $210,000 in costs against the Financial Service Regulatory Authority of Ontario. Justice Ed Morgan’s award followed his criticism of the regulator for defying a decision of its predecessor, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario. One veteran pensions litigator — speaking […]
Utica Resources files lawsuit seeking billions of dollars if Quebec implements Bill 21
By Julius Melnitzer | June 27, 2022 Utica Resources Inc. filed a lawsuit this week seeking to invalidate the Quebec government’s ban on hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation, or obtain billions of dollars in compensation for what it claims is an expropriation, giving new life to critics’ claims that the legislation will hamper economic development and […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: Remote defendants show up bathing and half-naked; OCA provides guidance on limitation defence in allowing negligence claims against Robins Appleby to proceed; Langlois chair inducted into ACTL; Dellelce family donates $5 million to University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law; Top 5 law firm bulletins & webinars
By Julius Melnitzer | June 24, 2022 UK COURTS FED UP WITH REMOTE SHENANIGANS A UK Magistrates Association report concludes that 76 percent of magistrates oppose continued remote hearings. Defendants appearing remotely, respondents said, appeared to take the process less seriously, as evidenced by their “appearing while in the bath, being half naked, smoking and […]
Employers can expect surge of claims linked to long-haul coronavirus, remote work injuries: lawyers
By Julius Melnitzer | June 16, 2022 As the pandemic winds down, employers can expect to see an increase in disability claims related to long-haul coronavirus infections and compensation claims resulting from injuries incurred while working remotely, says Joshua Goldberg, a Toronto-based personal injury lawyer. The most common long-haul coronavirus symptoms are fatigue, shortness of […]
Blood Tribe reserve ruling draws distinction on treaty rights
By Julius Melnitzer | June 8, 2022 First Nations seeking to enforce treaty rights must commence their claims within the applicable limitation periods in provincial and federal legislation, even if the treaty rights arose before Aboriginal rights were enshrined in the Constitution Act of 1982, according to a Federal Court of Appeal ruling earlier this […]
BREAKING NEWS: Ontario Chief Justice George Strathy to retire early
By Julius Melnitzer | June 7, 2022 Ontario Chief Justice George Strathy will retire on August 31, 2022, 11 months before his mandatory retirement date on his 75th birthday on July 23, 2023. Strathy advised his judicial colleagues of the decision at a Court of Appeal meeting on Friday, June 3. He followed up with […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: LSO accredits mindfulness meditation training for lawyers; New CEO at Arbitration Place; Calling a man “a bald c***” is sexual harassment; Bennett Jones provides scholarships for Indigenous, Black and first-generation law students; Top 5 law firm bulletins
By Julius Melnitzer | June 6, 2022 LSO ACCREDITS MINDFULNESS MEDITATION COURSE In a nod to the growing recognition of well-being’s importance to the profession, The Law Society of Ontario has accredited a mindfulness training course, Toronto Method Mindfulness, developed and led by Ari Kaplan of Kaplan Law. Kaplan, one of Canada’s leading pension law […]
Canada targets crowdfunding platforms with new rules
By: Bamdad Attaran | May 20, 2022 Crowdfunding platforms have new regulatory obligations. On April 5, 2022, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) introduced amendments to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Regulations (PCMLTFR). FINTRAC is responsible for administering and enforcing Canada’s anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing (“AML/ATF”) […]
Employers seeking to withhold termination entitlements must prove wilful misconduct pre-planned: Ontario court
By Julius Melnitzer | May 19, 2022 A recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision raises the bar for employers seeking to withhold minimum entitlements under the Employment Standards Act from employees dismissed for cause.Julius Melnitzer The case arose when TK Elevator terminated Mark Render — a manager with more than 30 years’ service — for […]
Alberta energy sector still in limbo as appeals court weighs Impact Assessment Act
By Julius Melnitzer | May 3, 2022 More than 14 months after hearing Alberta’s challenge to the federal government’s Impact Assessment Act, the province’s court of appeal has yet to render a decision, leaving industry players on “pins and needles” over a ruling that could have a major impact on the regulation of Alberta energy […]