Articles 2020

HPARB has changed its former practice of anonymizing its published decisions and is now publishing the names of parties when releasing its decisions on canlii.org. Lad Kucis, a partner of Gardiner Roberts who practices health law and professional regulation, discusses this recent change and the potential impacts on healthcare professionals and patients.

On March 17, 2021, the federal government passed Bill C-7: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), which legally expands access to MAID in Canada. This article offers a high-level overview of how we got here and what has changed since Bill C-7 has become the law of the land.

Effective advocacy in health law requires the ability to argue before a variety of adjudicators. Read this summary of the OBA Health Law Section's recent PD program on Advocating before Health Discipline Committees and gain valuable insights from the decision-makers themselves about how counsel can advocate effectively for their clients at health discipline committee hearings.

We are excited to share with you the insights of five prominent members of the bar with extensive experience in medical malpractice litigation, both from the perspective of plaintiffs and defence counsel. Whether you are currently working on medical malpractice files, considering a career in this interesting and complex area of litigation, or are just curious about what senior members of the bar who practice in this field have to say about their work, read on.

This article comments on the recent decision of the discipline committee of the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) in College of Nurses of Ontario v Ramos, 2020 CanLII 82614 (ON CNO), denying a deferral of a virtual hearing until a time where in-person hearings are resumed.

Health-care workers in long-term care (LTC) and retirement homes may be required by their employers to undergo COVID-19 testing. This was the decision of arbitrator Dana Randall in Christian Labour Association of Canada v Caressant Care Nursing & Retirement Homes, 2020 CanLII 100531 (ON LA). This article summarizes key points of the arbitral decision.

This article is a recap of the November 17 PD event of the OBA Health Law Section: Health Law & Privacy of Patients – What you Need to know in these Unprecedented Times. The program addressed how the arrival of COVID-19 in Ontario has affected access to health information, patient privacy in the new virtual age, and the application of PHIPA to consumer electronic service providers.

Earlier this month, Ontario’s Patient Ombudsman released a special report, Honouring the voices and experiences of Long-Term Care Home residents, caregivers and staff during the first wave of COVID-19 in Ontario (the "Report"), calling for major changes to prevent further tragedies in the Province's Long-Term Care sector during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the regulation of health professionals in Ontario. On October 7, 2020 the OBA’s Health Law Section hosted a timely webinar where we heard from both the regulators and the defence counsels’ perspectives. This article discusses some of the highlights and take-away points of the program.

The resulting effect of Bill 138, the Plan to Build Ontario Together Act, on the province’s healthcare regime has already been interpreted by the Ontario Superior Court in a recent decision, shedding light on the practical implications of some of these amendments and how they may impact ongoing disputes related to a physician’s billings. The case of 1582235 Ontario Limited v Ontario, 2020 ONSC 1279, addresses issues on the current OHIP billing process.