The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) recently heard the Crown appeal of R v Borowiec, 2015 ABCA 232 (“R v MB”). The case is significant given the possibility for a change in the law of infanticide in Canada, as the Crown has argued for the need for greater clarity of what constitutes a ‘disturbed mind’ […]
In November of last year, I wrote an article for The Court on the recent decision in Uber Canada Inc. v City of Toronto, 2015 ONSC 3572 [“Uber”] by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (“ONSC”). In Uber, Justice Sean F. Dunphy ruled that Uber is neither a “taxicab broker” nor a “limousine service” within […]
Facts of the Case In the case of Butler v Canada, 2016 FCA 65 [Butler] Mr. Butler appealed a decision made last January at the Tax Court of Canada, where he was required to repay the Old Age Security Pension (“OASP”) approximately $3000. Mr. Butler received a lump sum award under Nova Scotia’s Workers’ Compensation […]
Roth Estate v Juschka, 2016 ONCA 92 [Roth] is a case where the circumstances under which advice was given to family members in the context of a share purchase did not purport to necessitate the provision of independent legal advice (“ILA”). The underlying transaction was a gift from Mr. Roth and his wife (the “Roths”) […]
Canada has an enviable public health care system, providing health care coverage to all Canadian citizens regardless of personal income. What this public system invariably leads to, though, is delays in getting medical treatment. And while those who want or even need to get treatment faster can seek private health care, they may find their […]
Due to a dearth of commercial appellate decisions around the holiday season, a tort decision from the Ontario Divisional Court has caught my attention. Swern v Amazon Hardwood Centre Inc, 2015 ONSC 7590 [Swern] is a Small Claims Court decision appealed by the Defendants to the Divisional Court on a number of well-reasoned points of […]
Mapleview-Veterans Drive Investments Inc. v Papa Kerollus VI Inc. (Mr. Sub), 2016 ONCA 93 [Mapleview], a case released yesterday by the Ontario Court of Appeal (“ONCA”), is the latest pronouncement on interpreting commercial lease provisions. While the outcome of the appeal is understandable given the facts relied upon by the parties, it causes concerns not […]
The Executives of Livent were masters of live performance. Known for producing popular shows such as The Phantom of the Opera and Show Boat, they never thought their own escapades would play out in the media as a protracted drama with a final act orchestrated by the highest court in Ontario.
The Court of Appeal’s decision last year in Ferri v Ontario (Attorney General), 2015 ONCA 683 [Ferri] shocked many in the municipal law community. Mario Ferri, a well-known Regional and City Councillor for Vaughan, brought an application on his own volition under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, R.S.O. 1990, c M.50 (“MCIA”) in the […]
In R v Elliott, 2016 ONCJ 35 [Elliott], Gregory Elliott was found not guilty of criminally harassing two women by repeatedly communicating with them via Twitter through various hashtags they had created. In my view, Mr. Elliott fulfills the definition of a “Twitter troll” and I find his opinions personally offensive. But is the fact […]