In a decision rendered on July 5th, the Court of Appeal reiterates the admissibility in evidence of reports done in the course of administrative investigations in the context of a civil trial, confirming the importance of any administrative investigation that follows an accident.
On July 20, 2012, the Supreme Court of British Columbia (the 'Court') rendered a judgment that sheds new light on the shareholder nomination process for electing the directors of a business corporation. In fact, the Court confirmed that a corporation’s policy, which aimed to impose an advance (…)
It is fairly common and in fact recommended, to proceed with a due diligence review of a property before its acquisition. At a minimum, title to the property is confirmed through a title search review. Often times, a much more thorough review is completed. Matters such as zoning and other legal (…)
The Application for Rectification by the Court Is Not a Cure for all Ills: Prevention is Better than (Attempting!) a Cure Register your Trade-marks! The Importance of Having a Detailed Power of Attorney in the Event of a Person’s Incapacity Effect of a Unanimous (…)
Quebec law has for a long time distinguished the personal guarantor from the real guarantor: a personal guarantor is personally bound to repay a creditor should the principal debtor fail to perform its obligations; a real guarantor does no more than give some of its assets as collateral to a (…)
On August 2, 2012, the Court of Appeal rendered a major decision on professional liability insurance . As a result of this ruling, insureds and insurers alike should review the wording of such policies, especially gross fault exclusions and the definition of "professional activities". The (…)
The employer, Centre jeunesse de Montréal – University Institute (hereinafter the "Centre"), adopted a dress code as well as a piercings, tattoos and personal appearance policy for its employees (hereinafter the "Policy").Although the validity of the Policy was contested by (…)
As of January 1, 2013, Quebec and California will emerge as the first two Western Climate Initiative (WCI) partners to create a carbon market that imposes binding targets on businesses identified as major greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters. These new regulations are raising some concerns among the (…)
On June 27, 2012 the British Columbia Court of Appeal issued its highly anticipated decision in the case William v. British Columbia. In a unanimous decision, the Court affirmed many of the trial judge’s holdings regarding the claims to Aboriginal rights and title brought by the (…)
On August 9, 2012, the Supreme Court of Canada granted the application for leave to appeal filed by Vivendi Canada Inc. against the decision rendered in February 2012 by the Québec Court of Appeal. This decision authorized Mr. Michel Dell’Aniello to bring a class action against Vivendi Canada (…)
An overview of the restrictive interpretation given to additional mortgage in both the doctrine and case law. An additional mortgage is often added to the primary mortgage to better protect the creditor (available in French only).
On April 4, 2012, the British Columbia Supreme Court rendered its decision in the case Neskonlith Indian Band v. Salmon Arm (City) and therein confirmed that municipalities have no duty to consult and accommodate Aboriginal peoples.