The Court dismissed a petition for a declaration that the sections of the Legal Professions Act, S.B.C. 1998, c.9 and the Law Society Rules allowing a practice review on a solicitor are inconsistent with the Constitution Act, 1982 and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and are of no force and effect. The Court further refused to quash the decision of the Law Society’s Practice Standards Committee to conduct a practice review in respect of the Petitioner on the grounds that it was contrary to the principles of natural justice and made in bad faith.

24. May 2005 0
Administrative law – Barristers and solicitors – Boards and tribunals – Disciplinary proceedings – Charter of Rights – Application to disciplinary proceedings – Validity of legislation – Judicial review – Natural justice – Disclosure of third party records – Solicitor-client privilege Greene v. Law Society of British Columbia, [2005] B.C.J. No. 586, British Columbia Supreme Court, March 21, ...

The decision of the Respondent to negotiate and enter into a contract with various companies for the provision of health care services did not fall within the definition of statutory power and therefore the Petitioner did not come within the provisions of the Judicial Review Procedure Act and the petition was dismissed

24. May 2005 0
Administrative law – Government – Contract to provide health services – Outsourcing – Validity – Judicial review application – Parties – Statutory powers – Compliance with legislation British Columbia Government and Services Employees’ Union v. British Columbia (Minister of Health Services), [2005] B.C.J. No. 650, British Columbia Supreme Court, March 23, 2005, Melvin J. The Petitioner ...

Applying a standard of reasonableness, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the B.C. Securities Commission dismissing the Appellant’s application under section 171 of the British Columbia Securities Act due to unjustified delay

24. May 2005 0
Administrative law – Stock brokers – Disciplinary proceedings – Penalties – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Securities Commission – Conflict of interest – Judicial review – Delay – Standard of review – Reasonableness simpliciter Roeder v. British Columbia (Securities Commission), [2005] B.C.J. No. 693, British Columbia Court of Appeal, April 4, 2005, Huddart, Saunders and Oppal JJ.A. ...

A worker in a pulp and paper mill (“Speckling”) who was allegedly injured while cleaning up a boiler house was unsuccessful in his appeal from two judicial reviews of decisions of the Workers’ Compensation Board Appeal Division which rejected his claims for compensation

26. April 2005 0
Administrative law – Workers compensation – Benefits – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Workers Compensation Boards – Judicial review – Standard of review – Patent unreasonableness Speckling v. British Columbia (Workers’ Compensation Board), [2005] B.C.J. No. 270, British Columbia Court of Appeal, February 16, 2005, Hall, Levine and Thackray JJ.A. Speckling became ill while at work and ...

The British Columbia College of Teachers (the “College”) was unsuccessful on appeal from the Supreme Court judge’s decision to reduce the penalty for a teacher (“Mitchell”) who had engaged in a sexual relationship with a former student

26. April 2005 0
Administrative law – Teachers – Disciplinary proceedings – Professional misconduct or conduct unbecoming – Penalties – Appeals – Decisions of administrative tribunals – College of Teachers – Judicial review – Standard of review – Reasonableness simpliciter – Publication ban Mitchell v. British Columbia College of Teachers, [2005] B.C.J. No. 269, British Columbia Court of Appeal, February 16, ...

The administrative penalty of $25,000.00 imposed on the Appellant was not in the circumstances unreasonable and the Appellant’s appeal was therefore dismissed

22. March 2005 0
Administrative law – Stock brokers – Disciplinary proceedings – Penalties – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Securities Commission – Judicial review – Standard of review – Reasonableness simpliciter Hogan v. British Columbia (Securities Commission), [2005] B.C.J. No. 131, British Columbia Court of Appeal, January 28, 2005, Finch C.J.B.C., Prowse and Levine JJ.A. The British Columbia Securities Commission ...

The British Columbia Human Rights Code creates “personal” rights and such rights abate on the death of the person whose human rights have allegedly been breached. The Tribunal therefore did not have statutory jurisdiction to hear matters in such circumstances.

22. March 2005 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Human Rights Tribunal – Death of complainant – Judicial review – Jurisdiction of tribunal – Standard of review – Correctness British Columbia v. Goodwin, [2005] B.C.J. No. 193, British Columbia Supreme Court, February 4, 2005, Cohen J. The Petitioner, the Province of British Columbia (the “Province”), sought ...

A Superintendent of Motor Vehicles-delegated adjudicator decision that a driver (“Taylor”) was issued a valid breathalyzer demand prior to being suspended was restored on the Superintendent’s appeal from a judgment which had remitted the matter to a delegate of the Superintendent for disposition

22. February 2005 0
Administrative law – Motor vehicles – Refusal of breathalyzer test – Adjudication – Evidence – Judicial review – Compliance with legislation – Standard of review – Patent unreasonableness Taylor v. British Columbia (Superintendent of Motor Vehicles), [2004] B.C.J. No. 2613, British Columbia Court of Appeal, December 8, 2004, Lambert, Newbury and Saunders JJ.A. On March 27th, ...

A petition seeking an order quashing the decision of the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal (the “WCAT”) and a declaration that the petitioner was not a “worker” was dismissed by the Court as the Court found that the WCAT did not act beyond its jurisdiction and its decision was not patently unreasonable

25. January 2005 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Workers Compensation Boards – Validity and application of policies – Worker – definition – Statutory provisions – Jurisdiction – Judicial review – Standard of review – Patent unreasonableness Harris v. 149925 Canada Ltd., [2004] B.C.J. No. 2542, British Columbia Supreme Court, December 6, 2004, Boyd J. The petitioner sought ...

The decision of a delegate of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia which ordered the British Columbia Archives to process a request made pursuant to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for production of the incomplete draft report of the Smith Commission of Inquiry into the affairs of the Nanaimo Commonwealth Holding Society was quashed by the Court as the Court held that the report was a draft decision of a person acting in a judicial or quasi-judicial capacity and was therefore immune from production by virtue of section 3(1)(b) of the Act

25. January 2005 0
Administrative law – Freedom of information and protection of privacy – Disclosure of draft report – Immunity of person acting in quasi-judicial capacity – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Privacy commissioner – Judicial review – Standard of review – Correctness – Compliance with legislation British Columbia (Attorney General) v. British Columbia (Information and Privacy Commissioner), [2004] B.C.J. ...