The outcome in Austin v. Bell Canada, a class proceeding, hinged on the placement of a comma in the Bell Canada pension plan. The issue was whether Bell was entitled to round the CPI used to calculate annual cost of living increases to the nearest two decimal points. The appropriate contractual method of rounding had a $10 million impact in only one year, and a $100 million impact over the long-term. Bell succeeded on a motion for summary judgment in having the class action dismissed. However, the Court of Appeal not only set aside the dismissal, but granted summary judgment against Bell in favour of the class.
Other topics covered this week included contractual interpretation in the joint venture context, mortgage enforcement, the enforceability of an equipment lease whose onerous terms were not brought to the attention of the contracting party, the stay of a vesting order pending appeal, the (almost) jury nullification as a result of an overly inquisitive jury foreman who conducted his own legal research on the MVA fault determination rules under the Insurance Act (the rules were inapplicable to the determination of fault), and adjournments in the Anti-SLAPP context (the 60-day requirement is not a hard cap on time within which to hear the motion).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Civil Decisions
All-Terrain Track Sales and Services Ltd. v. 798839 Ontario Limited, 2020 ONCA 129
Keywords: Contracts, Interpretation, Real Property, Mining Rights, Joint Venture Agreements, 798839 Ontario Ltd. v. Platt, 2016 ONCA 488, Sattva Capital Corp. v. Creston Moly Corp., 2014 SCC 53, Richcraft Homes Ltd. v. Urbandale Corporation, 2016 ONCA 622
The Energy Credit Union Limited v. Radwan, 2020 ONCA 136
Keywords: Contracts, Real Property, Mortgages, Civil Procedure, Summary Judgment
M & M Homes Inc. v. 2088556 Ontario Inc., 2020 ONCA 134
Keywords: Contracts, Real Property, Specific Performance, Civil Procedure, Appeals, Stay Pending Appeal, Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 63.01, City Commercial Realty (Canada) Ltd v. Backich, [2005] O.J. No. 6443 (CA), RJR-MacDonald Inc v. Canada (Attorney General), [1994] 1 S.C.R. 311
Amorosi v. Barker, 2020 ONCA 144
Keywords: Civil Procedure, Anti-SLAPP, Motions, Adjournments, Cross-Examination, Courts of Justice Act, s 137.1(4)(b), 137(2)
MacQuarie Equipment Finance Ltd. v. 2326695 Ontario Ltd. (Durham Drug Store), 2020 ONCA 139
Keywords: Contracts, Equipment Leases, Enforceability, Termination Clauses, Onerous Provisions, Tilden Rent-A-Car Co. v. Clendenning (1976), 18 O.R. (2d) 601 (C.A.)
Patterson v. Peladeau, 2020 ONCA 137
Keywords: Torts, MVA, Civil Procedure, Jury Trials, Mistrials, Jury Nullification, Extrinsic Evidence, Jury Charges, Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 170(12), Fault Determination Rules, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 668, R. v. Pannu, 2015 ONCA 677
Austin v. Bell Canada, 2020 ONCA 142
Keywords: Contracts, Interpretation, Contra Proferentem, Pension Plans, Class Proceedings, Summary Judgment, Class Proceedings Act, 1992, S.O. 1992, c. 6, Sattva Capital Corp. v. Creston Moly Corp., 2014 SCC 53, Housen v. Nikolaisen, 2002 SCC 33, Dinney v. Great-West Life Assurance Co., 2009 MBCA 29, Waxman v. Waxman (2004), 186 O.A.C. 201, Scanlon v. Castlepoint Development Corp. (1992), O.R. (3d) 744
Criminal Decisions
R. v. L., 2020 ONCA 128
Keywords: Criminal Law, Firearm Offences, Possession of a Prohibited Device, Drug Offences, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of Proceeds of Crime, Actus Reus, Mens Rea, Evidence, Expert Evidence, Admissibility, Sentencing, Criminal Code, ss. 4(3), 4(3)(a)(ii), 4(3)(b), 21(1)(b)-(c), 21(2), 84(1), 92(1), 92(2), 95(1), 655, 686(1)(a)(i), Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited, Restricted or Non-Restricted, SOR/98-462, R. v. R.P., 2012 SCC 22, R. v. Yebes, [1987] 2 S.C.R. 168, R. v. Biniaris, 2000 SCC 15, R. v. Burns, [1994] 1 S.C.R. 656, R. v. Sinclair, 2011 SCC 40, Corbett v. The Queen, [1975] 2 S.C.R. 275, R. v. Wu, 2017 ONCA 620, R. v. Beaudry, 2007 SCC 5, R. v. Villaroman, 2016 SCC 33, R. v. Smith, 2016 ONCA 25, R. v. Morin, [1988] 2 S.C.R. 345, Côté v. The King (1941), 77 C.C.C. 75 (S.C.C.), R. v. Bagshaw, [1972] S.C.R. 2, R. v. Mohan, [1994] 2 S.C.R. 9, White Burgess Langille Inman v. Abbott and Haliburton Co., 2015 SCC 23, R. v. Sekhon, 2014 SCC 15, R. v. Marquard, [1993] 4 S.C.R. 223, R. v. J.-L.J., 2000 SCC 51, R. v. Potts, 2018 ONCA 294, R. v. Morelli, 2010 SCC 8, R. v. Beaver, [1957] S.C.R. 531, R. v. Watson, 2011 ONCA 437, R. v. Lincoln, 2012 ONCA 542, United States of America v. Dynar, [1997] 2 S.C.R. 462, R. v. Williams, 2003 SCC 41, R. v. Briscoe, 2010 SCC 13, Sansregret v. The Queen, [1985] 1 S.C.R. 570, R. v. Eastgaard, 2011 ABCA 152, aff’d 2012 SCC 11, R. v. Hunter, 2016 BCCA 94, Re Chambers and the Queen (1985) 20 C.C.C. (3d) (Ont CA), R. v. Pham (2005) 203 C.C.C. (3d) 326 (Ont CA), R. v. Boudreault, 2018 SCC 58
R. v. G.W. (Publication Ban), 2020 ONCA 130
Keywords: Publication Ban, Criminal Law, Sexual Assault, Sexual Interference, Invitation to Sexual Touching
R. v. J.J. (Publication Ban), 2020 ONCA 138
Keywords: Publication Ban, Criminal Law, Sexual Assault, Evidence, Admissibility, Prior Inconsistent Statements
R. v. K.V. (Publication Ban), 2020 ONCA 131
Keywords: Publication Ban, Criminal Law, Sexual Offences, Minors, Appeals, Perfection, Extension of Time, Criminal Code, s 276, Rules of Professional Conduct of the Law Society of Ontario
R. v. R., 2020 ONCA 132
Keywords: Criminal Law, Conspiracy to Kidnap, Conspiracy to Commit Sexual Assault, Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Evidence, Corroboration, Witnesses, Credibility, Reliability
R. v. S., 2020 ONCA 133
Keywords: Criminal Law, Domestic Violence, Assault Causing Bodily Harm, Sentencing, Propensity Evidence
R. v. M. (Publication Ban), 2020 ONCA 141
Keywords: Publication Ban, Criminal Law, Sexual Assault, Administering a Noxious Substance, Bail Pending Appeal, Jury Selection, Peremptory Challenges, Bill C-75, Criminal Code, ss. 679(3), 686, R. v. Chouhan, 2020 ONCA 40, R. v. Oland, 2017 SCC 17, R. v. Iraheta, 2018 ONCA 229, R. v. Fainacci (1993), 86 C.C.C. (3d) 32 (CA), R. v. Esseghaier and Jaser, 2019 ONCA 672
R. v. J.-E. M.-C. (Publication Ban), 2020 ONCA 140
Keywords: Publication Ban, Criminal Law, Sexual Assault, Evidence, Prior Statements, Youth Criminal Justice Act, S.C. 2002, c. 1
Ontario Review Board Decisions
H. (Re), 2020 ONCA 143
Keywords: Ontario Review Board, Criminal Law, Uttering Death Threats, Not Criminally Responsible
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