Canadian Appeals Monitor Information and Commentary on Upcoming and Recent Appeal Court Decisions

Monthly Archives: August 2012

What to expect when you’re expecting… An answer from a regulator: SCC to discuss the reasonable diligence defense in cases or strict liability offenses

By Rachel Laferriere on Posted in Case Previews, Criminal, Financial Services, Insurance

The Supreme Court of Canada recently granted leave to appeal in a case involving the Autorités des marchés financiers (“AMF”), the Quebec regulator regarding financial products and services. The most important issue discussed by the Court of Appeal concerns the possibility or not for Sovereign, General Insurance Company (“Sovereign”) to use the reasonable diligence defense… → Read More

UK Supreme Court to Pierce the Issue of the Corporate Veil

By Brandon Kain on Posted in Case Previews, Conflict of Laws, Contracts, Corporate Law

The UK Supreme Court has granted permission to appeal in a case that raises important issues regarding the legal doctrine of “piercing the corporate veil”.  The decision in VTB Capital Inc. v. Nutritek International Corp. will give the Court an opportunity to clarify when the veil should be pierced, and whether the legal effect of doing so is to constitute the… → Read More

Supreme Court of Canada to Rule on “Preferable Procedure” Inquiry in Class Actions

By Carole Piovesan on Posted in Case Previews, Class Actions, Procedure

The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) recently granted leave to appeal the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in AIC Limited et al. v. Dennis Fischer et al. The Fisher decision considers the important question of whether a successful OSC proceeding, resulting in the payment of $205 million in compensation to affected investor mutual funds, prohibits… → Read More

Is one “common issue” enough to authorize a class action in Canada? SCC grants leave to appeal in Vivendi Canada Inc. v. Dell’Aniello

By Marc-Andre Russell on Posted in Case Previews, Class Actions, Labour and Employment

On August 9, 2012, the Supreme Court of Canada granted leave to appeal from the Quebec Court of Appeal’s decision in Vivendi Canada Inc. v. Dell’Aniello, a case concerning the requirement that there be “identical, similar, or related questions of law or fact” when authorizing a class action in Quebec. While this requirement is found… → Read More

Time’s Up: SCC Denies Leave to Appeal in Sharma v. Timminco

By Brandon Kain and Michael Rosenberg on Posted in Case Comments, Class Actions

In an important new ruling with national implications, the Supreme Court of Canada has denied leave to appeal from the Ontario Court of Appeal’s watershed decision in Sharma v. Timminco Limited, thereby establishing Sharma as the governing law for the statutory limitation period for secondary market securities class actions in Ontario, and possibly throughout Canada. … → Read More

Hot Off the Press – World Class Actions: A Guide to Group and Representative Actions Around the Globe

By McCarthy Tétrault LLP on Posted in Aboriginal, Class Actions, Communications, Construction and Real Estate, Energy, Financial Services, Franchise and Distribution, Health, Insurance, Media, Municipal, Procedure, Professions, Securities, Transportation

In the newly published World Class Actions: A Guide to Group and Representative Actions Around the Globe, McCarthy Tétrault litigators David Hamer and Shane D’Souza co-authored the “Multijurisdictional and Transnational Class Litigation: Lawsuits Heard ‘Round the World” chapter. The chapter offers guidance to international lawyers who represent clients involved in cross-border, multinational and international class… → Read More