Competition Bureau’s Call for Intel on Anti-Competitive Conduct in Digital Economy Raises Eyebrows
In a general sense, what the Bureau wants to know is whether the characteristics of certain digital markets favour concentration — a process called ‘tipping’ The Competition Bureau’s recent call to Canadians to flag anti-competitive conduct in the digital economy is raising eyebrows among industry professionals. Certainly, the Bureau’s consultation seems far more concrete than […]
Federal Court reins in Immigration and Refugee Board
The Federal Court has limited the power of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada’s (IRB) chairperson to issue jurisprudential guides (JGs) on issues of fact, where the JGs create an “expectation” that board members were bound to follow the directives. Although Chief Justice Paul Crampton’s decision in Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers v. Canada (Minster […]
FSRA offering late-filing pension plans ‘safe harbour’ on administrative monetary policies
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority is giving late-filing pension plans a “one-time” opportunity to avoid administrative monetary penalties. The “safe harbour,” which applies to any outstanding filings under the Pension Benefits Act, expires on Oct. 31. “Rather than have people concerned about flagging non-compliance with late filings, the FSRA has offered this amnesty of sorts,” […]
A New Tax Law Could Spell Trouble for Safe Havens and Shell Companies — and it’s Already on the CRA’s Radar
The new law has set its sights on holding or shell companies set up principally to take advantage of a double taxation treaty Foreigners looking to Canada as a tax haven and Canadians seeking havens abroad will have to deal with a whole new set of rules when the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Multilateral Instrument […]
Scheer’s Call for SNC Lavalin Inquiry During Election Dangerous Precedent
It may just be the brouhaha over Andrew Scheer’s dual citizenship that made me link Donald Trump’s vow to “jail Hillary” and “lock her up” with the Conservative leader’s pledge — in the middle of an election campaign, no less — to launch a judicial inquiry into Justin Trudeau’s conduct in the SNC Lavalin scandal. […]
Ontario Court of Appeal ruling highlights interpretation of termination clauses
The Ontario Court of Appeal has taken a technical approach to interpreting “termination clause” in ruling that a failsafe clause that doesn’t clearly apply to the entirety of a termination clause won’t be enforceable. “The big takeaway from Andros v. Colliers Macaulay Nicolls Inc. is that courts will pay close attention to grammar and structure in interpreting failsafe […]
Nova Scotia Decision on Dependents’ Relief Redefines Testator’s ‘Liberty’
The Nova Scotia Supreme Court has ruled that portions of the province’s dependants’ relief legislation, which allow adult independent children to apply for variation of a will because it provides inadequate maintenance and support, are unconstitutional. “The decision expands the scope of the liberty interest protected in s. 7 of the Charter of Rights by recognizing that […]
Contractors buying from Home Depot, other retailers beware – – – the CRA is coming after you
The Home Depot Canada’s commercial customers are the latest target of the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) continuing priority audit of the underground economy in general and home improvement contractors in particular. In July, using what is known as the “unnamed person requirement”(UPR) found in the Income Tax Act, the CRA obtained a Federal Court order […]
Arbitrator rules hospital must compensate pensioner rehired part time for benefits
An arbitrator has ruled that part-time employees who have returned to work after retiring and are receiving pension benefits from the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan aren’t “members” of the plan for the purpose of calculating their benefit entitlements if they choose not to re-enrol in the HOOPP on resuming service. The upshot of arbitrator […]
Learning from the US & Vice Versa
Jeffrey Leon, a partner at Bennett Jones LLP in Toronto, has just completed a one-year term as only the second Canadian president of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). His tenure saw him travel some 250,000 kilometres to visit 45 states and nine provinces, affording him a unique insight into the mindset and practices […]