Federal Court agrees with veteran pension applicant that it was unreasonable for the pension appeal panel to consider his supporting physician’s opinion linking his injury to his armed forces services to be speculative and thus not credible. Panel’s decision was set aside and returned to a differently constituted panel for redetermination.

19. March 2019 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Veterans Review and Appeal Board – Pension Appeals Board – Disability – Eligibility – Judicial review – Appeals – Evidence – Standard of review – Reasonableness Crummey v. Canada (Attorney General), [2019] F.C.J. No. 54, 2019 FC 73, Federal Court (Halifax, Nova Scotia), January 18, 2019, R.F. Southcott J. The ...

An application for information from exempted records – not for the records – is not a valid application for access to information

19. March 2019 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Privacy commissioner – Freedom of information and protection of privacy – Municipal employees – Disclosure – Judicial review – Appeals – Jurisdiction Raymond v. Nova Scotia (Information and Privacy Commissioner), [2019] N.S.J. No. 7, 2019 NSCA 1, Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, January 11, 2019, P. Bryson, E. Van den Eynden and A.S. ...

Procedural fairness is reviewed on a standard of correctness

19. March 2019 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Municipal Councillor – Judicial review – Appeals – Natural justice – Procedural requirements and fairness – Standard of review – Correctness – Reasonableness Murray Purcha & Son Ltd. v. Barriere (District), [2019] B.C.J. No. 2, 2019 BCCA 4, British Columbia Court of Appeal, January 3, 2019, S. Stromberg-Stein, J.E.D. Savage and J.J.L. Hunter ...

The B.C. Court of Appeal upheld the Law Society of B.C.’s finding that the lawyer had committed professional misconduct by failing to disclose a conflict of interest to a client, and held it was within the review panel’s discretion to impose a five month suspension on the lawyer.

19. February 2019 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Law Societies – Permits and licences – Judicial review – Appeals – Standard of review – Reasonableness – Barristers and solicitors – Conflict of interest – Professional misconduct – Suspension Strother v. Law Society of British Columbia, [2018] BCJ No 6982, 2018 BCCA 481, British Columbia Court of Appeal, ...

The appellant’s claim for Workers’ Compensation benefits was denied after she experienced a traumatic event at her job as a correctional officer. The appellant was eventually diagnosed with PTSD, but the Workers’ Compensation Tribunal upheld the Commission’s decision that this was not new evidence that would substantially affect its original decision denying benefits. The Court of Appeal found the Tribunal made several errors that materially affected the outcome. The Tribunal’s decision was set aside and an order was made to provide the appellant benefits retroactively to the date of the original claim.

19. February 2019 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Workers’ Compensation Tribunal – Benefits – Psychological injuries – Judicial review – Appeals – New evidence Perry v. New Brunswick (Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission), [2018] N.B.J. No. 291, 2018 NBCA 80, New Brunswick Court of Appeal, November 29, 2018, K.A. Quigg, B.V. Green and R.T. French JJ.A. ...

The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal brought by the Chief Coroner of the Yukon. On an application for judicial review, a Chambers Judge had ordered an inquest into the death of Ms. Cynthia Blackjack in spite of the Chief Coroner’s decision not to do so. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, upholding the court’s concurrent, equivalent and continuing jurisdiction pursuant to the Coroners Act.

18. December 2018 0
Administrative law – Judicial review – Appeals – Jurisdiction – Compliance with legislation – Criminal matters – Coroner’s inquest Blackjack v. Yukon (Chief Coroner), [2018] Y.J. No. 91, 2018 YKCA 14, Yukon Territory Court of Appeal, October 24, 2018, E.A. Bennett, L.A.M. Charbonneau and G. Dickson JJ.A Ms. Cynthia Blackjack died on-board a medevac aircraft ...

No formal complaint made pursuant to the Police Act. The Court of Appeal allowed the appeals of the three constables.

18. December 2018 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Law Enforcement Review Board – Jurisdiction – Compliance with legislation – Judicial review – Appeals – Standard of review – Correctness – Patent unreasonableness – Professions – Police – Disciplinary proceedings Deluca v. Alberta (Law Enforcement Review Board), [2018] A.J. No. 1220, 2018 ABCA 340, Alberta Court of Appeal, ...

This case involves a detailed consideration of section 7(2) of the Worker’s Compensation Act, which creates a rebuttable presumption whereby an accident occurring in the course of employment is deemed to also “arise out of that same employment” in the absence of evidence to the contrary. The purpose of the section is to attenuate the difficulty in proving that an injury in fact arises out of and in the course of one’s employment. The Commission argued the Tribunal erred in its interpretation and application of this provision. The court ultimately disagreed and engaged in a fairly detailed consideration of the provision.

16. November 2018 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Workers Compensation Board – Judicial review – Legislative compliance – Appeals – Standard of review – Correctness – Reasonableness – Worker’s compensation – Statutory provisions – In and out of the course of employment New Brunswick (Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission) v. St-Onge, [2018] N.B.J. No. 198, 2018 ...

The appellant, a member of the Fredericton Police Force was caught stealing while in the United States. She was never convicted, but the charges were not dismissed either. At the same time as this was unfolding, a formal complaint was initiated through her employer. The matter proceeded to arbitration where she was dismissed from her employment with the Fredericton Police Force, the arbitrator citing her breach of trust as the primary reason for the termination. The appellant sought to quash the arbitrator’s decision on judicial review for both procedural and substantive reasons.

16. November 2018 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Arbitration Board – Professional governance and discipline – Judicial review – Appeals – Standard of review – Reasonableness – Police – Professional misconduct or conduct unbecoming Campbell v. Fredericton (City) Police Force, [2018] N.B.J. No. 197, 2018 NBCA 54, New Brunswick Court of Appeal, September 6, 2018, J.C.M. Richard, ...

The Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, a pro-life advocacy group, was denied advertising space on public buses by the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority for one of its campaigns aimed at demonizing women who have an abortion. It argued that the refusal constituted an unreasonable infringement on its Charter right to freedom of expression. The decision of TransLink was upheld by the chamber’s judge on judicial review, but ultimately overturned by the Court of Appeal, primarily on the basis of its failure to properly address the Charter argument. The Court of Appeal remitted the matter back to TransLink for reconsideration.

16. November 2018 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Transportation Authority – Human Rights – Charter of Rights and Freedoms – Judicial review – Appeals – Fresh evidence – Standard of review – Reasonableness – Proportionality Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform v. South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority, [2018] B.C.J. No. 3156, 2018 BCCA 344, British Columbia Court ...