On May 16, 2016, the Québec Court of Appeal adjudicated1 on whether a professional liability insurer can plead the nullity of a policy based on misrepresentations or concealment of facts by the insured. This decision is of interest because it addresses the novel issue of whether a liability insurer (…)
The facts of the Roy v. Lefebvre case On June 25, 2014, the Superior Court1 allowed the action of an insured against a life insurance broker and his firm. The context of the subscription of the insurance policy is somewhat unusual and deserves explanations. In 1992, the purchaser of an immovable (…)
In 20141, major retailers Best Buy Canada Ltd., Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd., Gap (Canada) Inc., Old Navy (Canada) Inc., Guess? Canada Corporation, Wal-Mart Canada Corp., Toys “R” Us Canada Ltd. and Curves International Inc. had filed a motion for declaratory judgment before the Superior Court for (…)
Last May 2, the Court of Appeal granted a motion to dismiss an appeal against a significant decision in the area of civil liability in the context of the practice of a sport.1 Decision at trial2 The facts in the case date back to October 3, 2010. A few seconds after the start of a hockey game (…)
As previously announced in our newsletter on April 14, 2016, the Quebec government published draft regulations that would put an end to the debate regarding the public display of trade-marks in Quebec. The Quebec government has finally abandoned the idea of requiring a French descriptor when (…)
Although a trust is a valuable financial, tax and estate planning tool, does it allow one to “shelter” some assets from the public order rules which apply in the context of family law? What is a trust? A trust is a legal disposition which allows a person to transfer the ownership of one or more of (…)
In December 2015, the Federal Court of Appeal rendered its judgment in the case of Red Label Vacations Inc. (redtag.ca) v. 411 Travel Buys Limited (411travelbuys.ca) 1. The Court dismissed all grounds of appeal and upheld the decision of the Federal Court. Background and Federal Court decision Red (…)
In insurance law, as well as in other areas of contract law, the precise definition and scope of the terminology used in a contract are very important since they have a direct effect on the obligations of the parties and, in the case under review, the scope of the insurance coverage. On February (…)
According to information presently available, it appears that the Quebec government will forgo implementing legislative amendments that would have forced companies conducting business in Quebec to add a French descriptor to signs displaying their non-French trade-marks. Instead, after some (…)
The use of a nominee corporation The Act Respecting Duties on Transfers of Immovables (the “Act”) imposes transfer duties (also known as the “welcome tax”) on the transfer of immovables in Quebec. Since transfer duties are only payable from the time the transfer is registered in the land register (…)
On December 23, 2015, the Ontario Court of Appeal1 set aside a decision of the motion judge2 which had granted a motion for summary judgment brought by the insurer to dismiss a claim by its insured. Facts The insured had entered into an agreement with a contractor to restore the exterior cladding (…)
In December 2015, the Court of Appeal of Quebec in Éthier v. Compagnie de chemins de fer nationaux du Canada1 confirmed that section 36 of the Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety (“AROHS”)2 does not apply to federal undertakings and that, accordingly, a worker who is pregnant or (…)
On March 17, 2016, Finance Minister Carlos Leitão tabled the Quebec Government’s 2016-2017 budget in the National Assembly. The budget contains several measures intended to foster job creation and economic growth, with a special emphasis on innovation, environmentally friendly practices, and digital (…)