Articles 2021

A recent decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal provides guidance on the responsibility of occupiers for natural hazards on their premises.

In September 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada took the opportunity to further clarify the standard of review following the seminal case: Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) v. Vavilov. As discussed below, the Court made it clear that reasonableness is the default standard, and correctness will only arise in limited situations.

On December 8, 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) released a decision mandating that administrative decision-makers account for Charter values (as well as or instead of Charter rights) in their rulings whether bidden or unbidden by the parties before them.

On Dec. 4, 2023, the Less Red Tape, More Common Sense Act, 2023 received Royal Assent, bringing an important amendment to the Corporations Act (Ontario) into force.

On April 3, 2023, the Ontario government introduced Bill 91 or the Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act, 2023 (Bill 91). Bill 91 amends various pieces of legislation including the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010. The amendments to Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 are effective Oct. 1, 2023.

Insurers should pay careful attention to the recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision in Baker v. Blue Cross Insurance Company of Canada which upheld a significant jury verdict in the amount of $1,500,000 in punitive damages and approximately another $1,000,000 in full indemnity fees and disbursements against the long-term disability benefits insurer. This article provides a discussion of the insurance dispute and key takeaways for insurers and litigants engaged in insurance claims disputes.

Happy New Year. Before the year kicks into high gear, we thought it would be useful to share with you some of the most important themes and regulatory developments in the Ontario energy sector in 2023, with our annual Year in Review edition of the Shepherd Rubenstein Energy Regulatory Update.

Welcome to the latest edition of the Shepherd Rubenstein Energy Regulatory Update, a quarterly round-up of the important developments in the Ontario energy sector. Below are some of the key regulatory happenings between July and September. It was busy, with both the Federal and Ontario Governments releasing electricity plans.