The President of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba (“Fletcher”) was unsuccessful on appeal from a judicial review upholding the decision of the Automobile Injury Compensation Appeal Commission that had affirmed Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation’s (“MPI”) denial of his claim for additional attendant care costs that he would incur as the president of the Party

22. February 2005 0
Administrative law – Judicial review – Bias Fletcher v. Manitoba Public Insurance Corp., [2004] M.J. No 443, Manitoba Court of Appeal, December 15, 2004, Huband, Kroft and Hamilton JJ. A. Fletcher alleged that a reasonable apprehension of bias existed because the chairperson made political contributions to the New Democratic Party. Fletcher argued that the chairperson, ...

An employer (“Simms”) was unsuccessful in appealing the determination of the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission Appeals Tribunal (the “Appeals Tribunal”) that the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (the “Commission”) had not set its rates higher than the rate authorized by the Commission’s own policy at the time

22. February 2005 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Workers Compensation Boards – Assessment rates to employers – Policies – Judicial review – Standard of review – Correctness T. S. Simms & Co. v. New Brunswick (Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission), [2004] N.B.J. No. 469, New Brunswick Court of Appeal, December 9, 2004, Drapeau C.J.N.B., Ryan ...

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, ...

Professional figure skating coaches (the “Patersons”) brought an application for judicial review of the procedure adopted by Skate Canada which had commenced an investigation into complaints against the Patersons alleging dishonesty, fraudulent misconduct and personal harassment. The court found that the procedures put into place by Skate Canada did not meet the criteria of due process in that the Patersons would not be allowed to cross-examine the complainants. The court granted an order prohibiting Skate Canada from proceeding with the charges against the Patersons until procedures were in place to guarantee fairness.

22. February 2005 0
Administrative law – Hearings – Conduct of hearings – Judicial review application – Administrative decisions – Procedural requirements and fairness – Natural justice – Jurisdiction of tribunal Paterson v Skate Canada, [2004] A.J. No. 1542, Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, December 22, 2004, Moen J. The Patersons were professional figure skating coaches who moved to Grande ...

The United Mexican States (“Mexico”) appealed the decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice upholding an award by a NAFTA arbitration tribunal which had found that Mexico had engaged in discriminatory conduct by granting tax rebates to domestic companies that were denied to a company engaged in a similar business owned by a U.S. citizen (“Karpa”). The Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and held that the arbitration tribunal was entitled to a high degree of deference and Mexico had not shown any basis upon which to interfere with the arbitration award.

22. February 2005 0
Administrative law – Arbitration and award – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Arbitration Board – NAFTA – Tax rebates – Companies – Less favourable treatment – Discrimination – Judicial review – Procedural requirements and fairness – Disclosure United Mexican States v. Karpa, [2005] O.J. No. 16, Ontario Court of Appeal, January 11, 2005, D.H. Doherty, R.P. Armstrong ...

A physician (“Mussani”) found guilty of sexual abuse by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (the “College”) challenged the constitutionality of the zero tolerance/mandatory revocation scheme governing discipline for specific acts of sexual conduct between health professionals and their patients under Ontario’s Health Professions Procedural Code (the “Code”). The Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and upheld the Mandatory Revocation Provisions of the Code.

22. February 2005 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Judicial review – College of Physicians and Surgeons – Disciplinary proceedings – Professional misconduct or conduct unbecoming – Sexual acts – Penalties – Mandatory suspensions – Constitutionality – Charter of Rights – Application to disciplinary proceedings Mussani v. College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, [2004] O.J. No. ...

The applicant was not an “office holder” and therefore his dismissal by the respondent was subject to a minimal duty of fairness which was met by the respondent in the circumstances

25. January 2005 0
Administrative law – Employment law – Termination of employment – Judicial review – Procedural requirements and fairness – Bias Youth Criminal Defence Office v. Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society of Alberta, [2004] A.J. No. 1345, November 3, 2004, Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, Hart J. The applicant (“Holtby”) applied for a declaration of nullity ...

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 ...

An application for judicial review pertaining to a decision made by the Commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada was allowed as the Court found that the Commissioner breached the rules of natural justice as particularized in the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada Act

25. January 2005 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Financial Consumer Agency – Natural justice – Judicial review – Procedural requirements and fairness – Compliance with legislation MBNA Canada Bank v. Canada (Financial Consumer Agency), [2004] F.C.J. No. 2037, Federal Court of Appeal, November 26, 2004, Von Finckenstein J. The appellant, MBNA Canada Bank (“MBNA”), was an issuer ...

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. ...