Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Blog

In its highly anticipated judgment, the majority of the Supreme Court of Canada found the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act constitutional in a split 6-3 decision.

The key issue before the court was whether the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (“GGPPA”) was constitutional. The majority decided that it was, because Parliament has jurisdiction to enact this law ...

In Atlantic Lottery Corp. v. Babstock, 2020 SCC 19 (Babstock), released July 24, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) unanimously confirmed that “waiver of tort” is not an independent cause of action for disgorgement. To make out a claim for disgorgement, a gain-based remedy, a claimant must first establish actionable misconduct. Further, according to the ...

The first Supreme Court of Canada interpretation of the Journalistic Sources Protection Act

A former member of government charged with corruption offences. A CBC journalist investigating. Her sources allegedly came from within a government anti-corruption unit. These facts culminated in the first Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) decision interpreting new ...

A recent Supreme Court of Canada case highlights the importance of procedural and substantive decisions where restitutionary damages are to be calculated on an aggregate basis. These issues are particularly acute in cases that seek to recover damages from a large scale fraud.

In Christine DeJong Medicine Professional Corp v. DBDC Spadina Ltd., 2019 SCC 30 ...

Earlier this month, the B.C. Court of Appeal rendered its decision in West Van Holdings Ltd. v. Economical Mutual Insurance Company, 2019 BCCA 110 – a case which considered whether insurers can rely on certain exclusion clauses to deny or preclude coverage for environmental contamination and pollution claims.

The two insured entities, West Van Holdings Ltd. and West Van ...

On June 22, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada (the "SCC") delivered its decision in Teal Cedar Products Ltd. v. British Columbia, 2017 SCC 32 [“Teal Cedar”]. The decision affirms the SCC's prior ruling that narrowly construes the types of issues which are questions of law for the purpose of an appeal to a court from an arbitration ruling in British Columbia, and mandates a ...

On May 18, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear an appeal in an important case that could further define the nature and extent of the Crown’s duty to consult Aboriginal people, including the previously unresolved question as to whether the Crown’s duty to consult Aboriginal people can be triggered by legislative action.

Background – When Does the Crown Duty ...

In its first decision of 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada addressed the likelihood of successful damages claims against quasi-judicial boards pursuant to s. 24 of the Charter. In a 4-4-1 split decision, the Court ultimately dismissed the appeal and struck the appellant’s claim for damages. Given the nature of the split decision, and the fact-specific basis for the ...

On November 25, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada (the "SCC") released two decisions that examine the protection of privileged communications before administrative bodies. The cases, which involve the Information and Privacy Commission of Alberta and Quebec's Chamber de l'assurance de dommages, consider the ability of legislation to infringe on the established ...

On November 17, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada (the “SCC”) released its decision in Royal Bank of Canada v. Trang, 2016 SCC 50. This case involved the proper interpretation of certain disclosure exceptions in the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, S.C. 2000, c.5 (“PIPEDA”).

Writing for a unanimous court, Justice Côté overturned ...