In-House Counsel
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July 18, 2024
Last major grocery chains sign on to Grocery Sector Code of Conduct
Touting it as a win for consumers, federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture and agri-food have announced that all of Canada’s major grocery chains have now signed on to the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct that was developed by government and industry.
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July 18, 2024
Court finds doctor cannot amend libel claim against lawyer who represented car accident victim
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice’s Divisional Court has dismissed an appeal of a decision that denied a doctor’s request to amend his statement of claim in a libel case against a lawyer who was involved in a car accident insurance claim case.
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July 18, 2024
Copyright board vice-chair and chief executive officer appointed
François-Philippe Champagne, the minister of innovation, science and industry, announced the appointment of Drew Olsen as the vice-chair and chief executive officer of the Copyright Board of Canada. The announcement, made in a July 16 news release, confirmed that Olsen would begin his five-year term on Aug. 26, 2024.
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July 18, 2024
A new criterion for evaluating regulators
There is an increasing tendency to evaluate the performance of regulators of professions. Most of these evaluations are conducted by oversight bodies, such as the various superintendents in British Columbia, or by third-party consultants retained by the regulators themselves. Most evaluations have focused on the regulatory effectiveness of the body or the functionality of their governance. A new criterion for evaluation is emerging relating to their internal culture, particularly related to staff.
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July 17, 2024
Ontario court approves $1.5M settlement for automatic mortgage renewal class action
The Ontario Superior Court has approved a $1.5 million settlement in a class action against a bank concerning allegations that that bank’s practice of automatically renewing mortgages resulted in higher interest rates and financial losses for homeowners.
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July 17, 2024
Ontario decision on back-to-work legislation ‘interesting’ despite mootness ruling: legal scholar
An Ontario judge has turned back a constitutional challenge of federal back-to-work legislation that put an end to a labour dispute with the union representing postal workers, saying it was moot despite finding the law violated the Charter’s protections for freedom of association.
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July 17, 2024
Trespass trumps freedom of speech
In a democracy, it is common for people to air their opposing views publicly through debate or protests. Unsurprisingly, the war in the Gaza Strip has caused large groups of people to gather in opposition to the war and to change the policies of corporations or institutions who, through investments, directly or indirectly support the war effort. In some cases, these gatherings have turned into encampments and occupations on parts of university campuses. While protesters have proclaimed that their occupations are protected by freedom of speech, the occupation of private property to the exclusion of the lawful owner and other permitted users constitutes a trespass.
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July 16, 2024
Federal Court orders ISPs to implement site blocking to curb pirated online sports broadcasts
The Federal Court has ordered Canadian Internet service providers (ISPs) to implement dynamic site‑blocking aimed at stopping copyright infringement with respect to live sports broadcasts.
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July 16, 2024
Appeal Court allows interveners to file evidence related to Ontario reference for online gambling
The Ontario Court of Appeal has granted British Columbia and the Canadian Lottery Coalition Members leave to file evidence regarding an Ontario reference regarding a proposed change in lottery regulations.
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July 16, 2024
B.C. outlines new protections for international students
The B.C. government is introducing new protections for international students by setting higher standards and more rigorous requirements for institutions who enrol them.