Articles 2021

Recent decision signals a plaintiff-friendly reading of Ontario's new Crown liability statute

This was an appeal of Jose Schoelly (“Mr. Schoelly” or the “Member”), a registered massage therapist, with respect to the outcome of discipline proceeding before a panel of the Discipline Committee of the College of Massage Therapists (“Discipline Committee” or the “Panel”).

In this case, the Applicant, Sunrise North Senior Living, was seeking an order in the nature of mandamus compelling the Sheriff of the Regional Municipality (Sheriff) to comply with an order requiring the eviction of the respondent Rohan Salmon (Salmon) from a unit in Sunrise North. This case provides a clear analysis of requirements to obtain an order in the nature of mandamus, in particular, discusses the issue of the balance of convenience which was a key factor in this case.

Mattar v. The National Dental Examining Board of Canada, 2020 ONSC 403 (Div Ct) is a decision of the Divisional Court, released only a couple of months after the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) v Vavilov, 2019 SCC 65. As one of the early decisions to consider the new doctrine of responsive justification, Mattar is one example of how Vavilov may motivate reviewing courts to require better quality administrative tribunal reasons.

In the decision of Intercounty Tennis Association v. Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, 2020 ONSC 1632, the Divisional Court held that applying the revised rules of judicial review established by the Supreme Court of Canada in Canada v. Vavilov, 2019 SCC 65 meant that patent unreasonableness in the Ontario Human Rights Code was akin to reasonableness, and dismissed an application for judicial review concluding that the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario’s finding of discrimination was reasonable.

Those who draft complex trust instruments need to keep in mind various clauses that can modify a trustee’s duty, offering protection where liability would otherwise attach. This blog discusses a recent Hong Kong case and its upholding of an anti-Bartlett clause, used to to exclude a trustee's duty to supervise or intervene in the management of a company in which the trust holds shares.

A summary of some useful practice tips covered at the OBA Program Kissing Cousins Reunited: Focus On Family Law Issues In Estates Planning, including how to manage joint retainers - and when to avoid them - for spouses with blended families.

In the face of Covid-19, the OBA’s Brown Bag Lunches have continued via Zoom, and become an even more important forum for practitioners. At the March BBL meeting, members grappled with new challenges of court closures and practicing in the era of social distancing, plus more enduring issues such as the relationship between capacity to consent to MAID and testamentary capacity, and an attorney for property or personal care’s ability to make substitute decisions about reproductive material.

In Lawen Estate, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court held that testamentary autonomy is protected by s. 7 of the Charter, and the provisions of the Testators’ Family Maintenance Act which allow a judge to grant dependant's support to independent adult children were not saved by s. 1. This article considers what the court's ruling might mean for dependant's support legislation across Canada, as well as what effect it might have on the court's approach to public policy limits of testamentary freedom.

While social distancing remains in effect, everyday elements of our legal practice have become the most complicated. This article summarizes the guidelines available for virtual commissioning of affidavits and sets out a step-by-step process for putting virtual commissioning into practice, including the pros and cons of different methods, some stumbling blocks, and how to mitigate the associated risks.