The Federal Court of Appeal reinforced that absurd results must be avoided when interpreting legislation

19. April 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Workers Compensation Boards – Compliance with legislation [Interpretation] – Judicial review – Appeals and leave to appeal – Standard of review – Reasonableness – Workers compensation – Pensions – Eligibility Canada (Attorney General) v. Burke, [2022] F.C.J. No. 321, 2022 FCA 44, Federal Court of Appeal, March 15, 2022, ...

City failed to balance the severity of the interference with Charter values against a policy on acceptable advertising when it relied on a national regulatory body to remove advertisements

15. March 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – City – Judicial review – Standard of review – Reasonableness – Municipal – Advertising policy – Human rights complaints – Charter Guelph and Area Right to Life v. Guelph (City), [2022] O.J. No. 363, 2022 ONSC 43, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, January 26, 2022, M.L. Edwards R.S.J., M.K. ...

Court upholds decision of the Human Rights Commissioner that concluded there was insufficient evidentiary basis to move the complaint to a tribunal hearing

15. March 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Human Rights Commission – Judicial review – Standard of review – Reasonableness – Human rights complaints – Discrimination – Race – Evidence Wint v. Alberta (Human Rights Commission), [2022] A.J. No. 137, 2022 ABQB 87, Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, January 31, 2022, D.R. Mah J. The applicant applied ...

Court of Appeal confirms a municipal body’s interpretation of their statutory powers is reviewable on a reasonableness standard

15. March 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Municipal councils – Judicial review – Legislative compliance – Appeals – Standard of review – Reasonableness – Municipalities – Building permits – Bylaws – Planning and zoning G.S.R. Capital Group Inc. v. White Rock (City), [2022] B.C.J. No. 180, 2022 BCCA 46, British Columbia Court of Appeal, February 4, ...

Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada’s decision to refuse investigation into Canadian embassy involvement in foreign mining operations and criminal activity reasonable

15. March 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Public Sector Integrity Commissioner – Investigations – Judicial review – Appeals – Procedural requirements and fairness – Standard of review – Reasonableness Gordillo v. Canada (Attorney General), [2022] F.C.J. No. 137, 2022 FCA 23, Federal Court of Appeal, February 9, 2022, W.W. Webb, J.B. Laskin and M. Rivoalen JJ.A. ...

No harm, no foul. Where a breach of procedural fairness has been established, the Court will not find there was a reviewable error unless the breach affected the outcome

22. February 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – College of Physicians and Surgeons – Judicial review – Investigations – Procedural requirements and fairness – Standard of review – Reasonableness – Abuse of process – Physicians and surgeons – Competence – Records – Training requirements Al-Kazely v. College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, [2022] O.J. No. 32, ...

I take it back! In certain circumstances, an administrative body can correct a breach in procedural fairness by reopening the relevant decision

22. February 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Law Societies – Bias – Judicial review application – Premature – Procedural requirements and fairness – Evidence – Jurisdiction – Legislative compliance – Hearings – Notice – Hearing de novo – Barristers and solicitors – Professional misconduct – Disciplinary proceedings Hemminger v. Law Society of British Columbia, [2022] B.C.J. ...

The case of the missing dollar: Arbitrator’s decision found procedurally unfair after reversing burden of proof

22. February 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Residential Tenancy office – Judicial review – Evidence – Burden of proof – Procedural requirements and fairness – Standard of review – Patent unreasonableness – Landlord and tenant – Residential Tenancy Agreements – Eviction LaBrie v. Liu, [2021] B.C.J. No. 2751, 2021 BCSC 2486, British Columbia Supreme Court, December ...

Expression of preliminary findings by an administrative body does not necessarily indicate a reasonable apprehension of bias

25. January 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Election commissioner – Judicial review – Appeals – Procedural requirements and fairness – Compliance with legislation – Bias Rebel News Network Ltd. v. Alberta (Election Commissioner), [2021] A.J. No. 1541, 2021 ABCA 376, Alberta Court of Appeal, November 19, 2021, F.L. Schutz, M.G. Crighton and J. Strekaf JJ.A. This ...

Jurisdiction and process do matter; police sergeant wins case against the Police Complaint Commissioner

25. January 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Police Commission – Judicial review – Jurisdiction – Procedural requirements and fairness – Standard of review – Reasonableness – Remedies – Certiorari – Police – Disciplinary proceedings – Professional misconduct or conduct unbecoming Sandhu v. British Columbia (Police Complaint Commissioner), [2021] B.C.J. No. 2688, 2021 BCSC 2424, British Columbia ...