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, ...

In weighing the merits of the Appellants’ rezoning requests, the Defendant municipality was discharging a duty delegated to it by the legislature. The Defendant was bound to exercise the powers conferred upon it fairly, in good faith and with a view to the public interest. The Defendant did not fulfil its duty of procedural fairness in refusing two rezoning applications brought by the Appellants as it gave no reasons for its denial. In refusing to justify its decision, the Defendant breached its duty of procedural fairness.

24. August 2004 0
Administrative law – Municipalities – Planning and zoning – Appeals – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Municipal councils – Statutory provisions – Public interest – Judicial review – Failure to provide reasons – Procedural requirements and fairness – Charter of Rights – Discrimination Congrégation des témoins de Jéhovah de St-Jérôme-Lafontaine v. Lafontaine (Village), [2004] S.C.J. No. 45, Supreme ...

The Assessment Appeals Committee of the Saskatchewan Municipal Board (the “Committee”) did not err in holding that it had jurisdiction to hear an appeal from the decision of the Secretary of the Prince Albert Board of Revision (the “Board”) since the decision of the Secretary was a decision of the Board within the meaning of section 260 of the Urban Municipality Act

27. July 2004 0
Administrative law – Municipalities – Municipal boards – Property assessment – Judicial review – Administrative decisions – Appeals – Jurisdiction Prince Albert (City) v. Riocan Holdings Inc., [2004] S.J. No. 337, Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, May 17, 2004, Vancise, Sherstobitoff and Lane JJ.A. A taxpayer filed a notice of appeal of an assessment with the Secretary ...

An appeal pursuant to section 40(8) of the Mineral Tenure Act was allowed as the court found that the Chief Gold Commissioner erred in finding that there had not been a good faith attempt by the Appellant to comply with the staking requirements of the Act with respect to his mining claim and the Appellant’s non-compliance did not have a tendency to mislead

27. July 2004 0
Administrative law – Natural resources – Mining leases – Gold Commissioner – Staking requirements – Judicial review – Administrative decisions – Appeals – Compliance with legislation Tyerman v. Kreft, [2004] B.C.J. No. 1016, British Columbia Supreme Court, May 19, 2004, E.R.A. Edwards J. The Appellant brought an appeal pursuant to section 40(8) of the Mineral Tenure ...

The Appellant provincial municipal assessor (“Assessor”) was granted leave to appeal pursuant to section 63 of the Municipal Assessment Act on the question of whether the municipal board (“Municipal Board”) committed an error of law by determining that the entire real property assessment roll for the Respondent Seagram Company (“Seagram”) was open for review when Seagram appealed its 1999 amended assessment. The success on the appeal was split between the Respondent and the Appellant, with the court finding that the Municipal Board committed an error of law by determining that the real property assessment for one parcel of the Seagram land was open for review because Seagram had no right of appeal in regard to the 1999 amended taxes for that parcel of land, and that the Municipal Board did not commit an error of law by determining that the entire real property assessment for the second parcel of land was open for review when Seagram appealed its 1999 supplementary taxes for roll no. 199700. The matter was referred back to the Municipal Board for further consideration.

27. January 2004 0
Administrative law – Municipalities – Property assessment – Appeals – Jurisdiction – Judicial review – Compliance with legislation – Right of appeal – Standard of review – Correctness Manitoba (Provincial Municipal Assessor) v. Seagram Co., [2003] M.J. No. 393, Manitoba Court of Appeal, November 3, 2003, Huband, Philp, Twaddle, Hamilton and Freedman JJ.A. Seagram had owned ...

A group of petitioner residents applied to quash two rezoning bylaws adopted by the council of the District of West Vancouver. The application alleged that West Vancouver city council had breached procedural fairness by receiving a report from the Director of Planning regarding the rezoning issue following the close of a public hearing. The report was not made available to the public prior to the council adopting the bylaws, which had the effect of allowing three lots that were formerly used for single family dwellings to be redeveloped for 10 residential townhouses.

27. January 2004 0
Administrative law – Municipalities – Planning and zoning – Change of by-laws – Appeals – Judicial review – Public hearings – Procedural requirements and fairness – Disclosure Hubbard v. West Vancouver (District), [2003] B.C.J. No. 2546, British Columbia Supreme Court, October 28, 2003, Stromberg-Stein J. The court held that there was a breach of procedural fairness ...

An owner of property (“Price Club”) was unsuccessful in its appeal of a decision of the Assessment Appeals Committee restoring a reassessment of the property by the Assessor which had increased the assessed value of the property by almost $1,000,000. The court held that the Assessor had properly calculated the property’s market adjustment factor and the decision to change the classification of the building for assessment purposes was appropriate and fell within the broad discretion granted to the Assessor.

22. April 2003 0
Administrative law – Municipalities – Property assessment – Appeals – Market adjustment factor Price Club Canada Real Estate Inc. v. Regina (City), [2003] S.J. No. 80, Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, February 4, 2003, Bayda C.J.S., Tallis and Jackson JJ.A This appeal concerns a 1999 assessment of Price Club’s property located at 665 University Park Drive ...

The Petitioner sought leave under section 31 of the Commercial Arbitration Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c.55 to appeal the decision of an Arbitrator in a motor vehicle case who awarded court order interest to the Respondent motorist (“Lopatka”) after the initial award for damages had been made. The court refused to grant leave, holding that the merits of the appeal did not have sufficient substance to warrant leave and it was important that the principle of finality in arbitrations be maintained.

27. August 2002 0
Administrative law – Motor vehicle accidents – Arbitration and award – Arbitrators – Jurisdiction – Appeals – Leave to appeal – Test Maruna v. Lopatka, [2002] B.C.J. No. 1706, British Columbia Supreme Court, July 19, 2002, Brooke J. Lopatka was involved in four motor vehicle accidents. Pursuant to section 148 of the Regulations to the Insurance ...