Civil Litigation

  • May 29, 2026

    Court awards $22.5M in class action against Toronto doctor for video surveillance

    The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has awarded $22.5 million in a class action against a Toronto plastic surgeon who had surveillance cameras throughout his clinic but did not inform patients or staff.

  • May 29, 2026

    Court orders new hearing in dispute over union advice not to cross picket lines

    The Federal Court of Appeal has set aside a labour board decision that dismissed allegations that a federal employee council violated the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act (FPSLRA) by counselling workers not to cross picket lines established during a legal strike by another bargaining unit.

  • May 29, 2026

    Separation agreement varied, stay denied in multimillion-dollar case

    In Block v. Block, 2026 BCSC 386, after a 12-day trial that involved the setting aside of a separation agreement based on Cyrus Paul Block’s failure to disclose his vast business interests, the trial judge made several property and support orders in favour of Deborah Ann Block, with payments to be made to her by her husband, Cyrus.

  • May 29, 2026

    Ahluwalia: Doctrinally important, but with modest practical impact?

    The reaction to the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia, 2026 SCC 16 has been immediate and intense. Supporters of the decision have celebrated the recognition of a new tort of intimate partner violence as transformative for survivors, while critics have warned that the decision will fundamentally alter family litigation, reintroduce fault into family law and dramatically increase acrimony between separating spouses.

  • May 29, 2026

    The appropriate framework for trust disclosure: Validity of proprietary rights theory

    When it comes to trust documents, an issue the courts have grappled with multiple times over the years is whether the beneficiaries of a trust are entitled to disclosure outside the context of adversarial litigation. Although trust beneficiaries are entitled to an accounting regarding the administration of trust property, there is no firmly established right to the disclosure of trust documents beyond an accounting.

  • May 29, 2026

    CIVIL PROCEDURE - Parties - Class or representative actions - Certification - Jurisdiction

    Appeal by appellants of dismissal of its jurisdictional challenge and certification order as a class proceeding. The appellants, along with other affiliates, were part of the Airbnb group of companies. The companies operated a platform (the Airbnb Platform) that allowed travellers (Guests) to connect with individuals who had accommodations to offer for rent (Owners).

  • May 28, 2026

    B.C. Court of Appeal: Class member discovery orders not appealable as of right

    The B.C. Court of Appeal has quashed an appeal by Janssen Inc. and Johnson & Johnson in the province’s opioid health-care cost recovery class action, ruling that orders concerning discovery from class members are not appealable as of right.

  • May 28, 2026

    Commissioner highlights importance of privacy breach reporting in Bill C-25

    On May 28, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Philippe Dufresne, spoke to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs about the privacy implications of Bill C-25, the Strong and Free Elections Act.

  • May 28, 2026

    Federal Court refuses summary judgment in RCMP medical examination class action

    The Federal Court has refused to grant summary judgment in a class action concerning allegations claiming physicians conducting mandatory pre-employment medical examinations for RCMP applicants committed sexual assaults and other misconduct over more than four decades.

  • May 28, 2026

    Modernizing federal procurement: The case for arbitration

    Some progress has been made toward modernizing the Government of Canada’s federal procurement system. Achieving maximum efficiency has taken on heightened urgency as the federal government prepares to expand military procurement to unprecedented levels.