A pensioner (“McLean”) sought judicial review of decisions made by employees of the Ministry of Human Resources (the “Ministry”) regarding McLean’s entitlement to benefits. The application was dismissed as the court found it was brought prematurely, where McLean had failed to pursue the remedies available to him under the legislation at issue.

Administrative law – Judicial review application – Premature – Jurisdiction of court – Compliance with legislation – Remedies – Alternative remedies – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Ministerial orders McLean v. British Columbia (Minister of Human Resources), [2004] B.C.J. No. 428, British Columbia Supreme Court, March 5, 2004, Gerow J. McLean submitted to the court that he had ...

Loblaws Supermarkets Ltd. (“Loblaws”) brought an application for a judicial review seeking an Order in the nature of prohibition preventing the Coroner from proceeding with an inquest into the death of Patrick Shand Jr. on the basis of unreasonable delay in commencing the inquest. The court dismissed the application, holding that Loblaws had not established that it would suffer significant prejudice if the hearing proceeded and that the delay was not inordinate and did not constitute an abuse of process.

Administrative law – Coroner’s inquest – Judicial review – Administrative tribunals – Delay – Stay of proceedings – Hearings – Unreasonable delay – Test Loblaws Supermarkets Ltd. v. Shand Inquest (Coroner of), [2004] O.J. No. 619, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, February 16, 2004, Swinton J. Patrick Shand Jr. died on September 14, 1999 while involved in ...

A teacher (“Mitchell”) was successful in her appeal from a decision of the Council of the British Columbia College of Teachers (the “College”) cancelling her certificate of qualification and terminating her membership in the College. The court found that the College failed to give any analysis or consideration to many mitigating factors specific to this case resulting in an unreasonable decision with respect to penalty.

Administrative law – Teachers – Professional misconduct or conduct unbecoming – Disciplinary proceedings – Penalties – Public interest – Decisions of administrative tribunals – College of Teachers – Evidenciary issues – Judicial review – Standard of review – Reasonableness simpliciter Mitchell v. British Columbia College of Teachers, [2003] B.C.J. No. 3056, British Columbia Supreme Court. October 27, ...

The Applicant solicitor was successful in obtaining an Order prohibiting the Respondent Law Society of New Brunswick (the “Law Society”) from continuing any proceedings against him arising out of charges contained in a Notice of Complaint. The court found that the subject matter of the present complaint had already been considered and dealt with by the Law Society and that the matter was res judicata.

Administrative law – Barristers and solicitors – Professional misconduct – Disciplinary proceedings – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Law Societies – Judicial review – Estoppel and res judicata A Solicitor v. Law Society of New Brunswick, [2004] N.B.J. No. 81, New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench, February 25, 2004, Guerette J. Over the period of January and February ...

Ultimate Shiatsu’s petition seeking to quash the City of Coquitlam’s decision to refuse it a business licence was dismissed. The City’s petition seeking a declaration that Ultimate Shiatsu was in breach of the City’s Trades Licensing Bylaw No. 49, 1972, as amended, was allowed.

27. January 2004 0
Administrative law – Permits and licences – Compliance with legislation – Renewal of business licence – Illegal activities – Judicial review – Administrative decisions – Municipal councils – Hearsay evidence – Jurisdiction – Standard of review – Patent unreasonableness Coquitlam (City) v. 517011 B.C. Ltd. (c.o.b. Ultimate Shiatsu), [2003] B.C.J. No. 2682, British Columbia Supreme Court, ...

The appeal by the B.C. Housing Commission (the “Commission”) of a decision of the Supreme Court reversing an arbitrator’s decision allowing the termination of Schubach’s tenancy was dismissed. The Court of Appeal held that a landlord of a complex of residential buildings was not entitled to terminate the tenancy of a tenant in one of the buildings because of acts committed in another of the buildings by a person that the tenant “permitted in or on the residential property or residential premises”.

27. January 2004 0
Administrative law – Landlord and tenant – Residential tenancy agreements – Termination – Conduct of tenant – Residential premises – Definition – Residential property – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Housing Commission – Jurisdiction – Judicial review – Standard of review – Patent unreasonableness Schubach v. British Columbia (Housing Management Commission), [2003] B.C.J. No. 2664, British Columbia Court ...

The appeal by the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission (the “Commission”) from a preliminary decision of the Board of Inquiry (the “Board”) was dismissed. The Court of Appeal, applying a standard of review of correctness, held that the Board did not err in determining that the trial judge, in a parallel civil action for wrongful dismissal commenced by the complainant, had jurisdiction to deal with allegations of discrimination.

27. January 2004 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Human Rights Commission – Employment law – Wrongful dismissal – Parallel action – Jurisdiction of court to hear human rights complaint – Estoppel and res judicata – Judicial review – Standard of review – Correctness Kaiser v. Dural, a division of Multibond Inc., [2003] N.S.J. No. 418, Nova Scotia Court ...

The appeal of the College of Hearing Aid Practitioners of Alberta (the “College”) from the decision of the Health Disciplines Board (the “Board”) reversing a decision of the College Conduct and Competency Committee (the “Committee”) regarding the conduct of a member (“Zieniewicz”) was dismissed. The Court of Appeal found that the Committee failed to properly consider all evidence at the hearing of Zieniewicz and that the Board properly applied the standard of review in reversing the Committee’s decision.

27. January 2004 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – College of Hearing Aid Practitioners – Disciplinary proceedings – Evidence – Professional misconduct or conduct unbecoming – Supervision of trainee – Delegated supervision – Judicial review – Standard of review – Reasonableness simpliciter – Correctness College of Hearing Aid Practitioners of Alberta (Council of) v. Zieniewicz, [2003] A.J. ...

A physician (“Lee”) appealed his conviction by a Panel of the Discipline Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario on a charge of sexually abusing a patient. The Ontario Divisional Court allowed the appeal and ordered a new hearing on the basis that the Panel denied Lee natural justice and procedural fairness in the hearing by refusing to engage in an O’Connor-type inquiry into the evidence of the complainant’s psychologist, whose clinical records were illegible.

25. November 2003 0
Administrative law – Physicians and surgeons – Disciplinary proceedings – Fairness – Decisions of administrative tribunals – College of Physicians and Surgeons – Evidence – O’Connor motion – Hearing de novo – Judicial review – Procedural requirements – Natural justice – Hearings – Disclosure Lee v. College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, [2003] O.J. No. 3382, Ontario ...