BC Supreme Court finds that if an administrative decision-maker is going to veer off its typical course in a decision, it needs to provide sufficient reasons to explain and justify its departure from the norm

21. February 2023 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Municipal boards – Planning and zoning – Intervenor status – Judicial review – Procedural requirements and fairness – Delay – Failure to provide reasons – Standard of review – Correctness – Unreasonableness Beedie (Keefer Street) Holdings Ltd. v. Vancouver (City), [2022] B.C.J. No. 2392, 2022 BCSC 2150, British Columbia ...

Make sure there is a connecting theme between events, before trying to argue the last in the series of events extends a filing deadline, or you might be disappointed

21. February 2023 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Human Rights tribunal – Discrimination – Judicial review – Extension of time – Delay – Standard of review – Reasonableness Chen v. Western University, [2022] O.J. No. 5315, 2022 ONSC 6698, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, December 2, 2022, K.E. Swinton, T.R. Lederer and S. Nishikawa JJ. The applicant, ...

Court of Appeal finds gathering & events public health orders justified under Charter

17. January 2023 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Health authorities – Ministerial orders – Judicial review – Appeals – Compliance with legislation – Standard of review – Reasonableness – Correctness – Human rights complaints – Religion – Charter of Rights and Freedoms – Freedom of religion – Physicians and surgeons Beaudoin v. British Columbia, [2022] B.C.J. No. ...

Court of Appeal upheld Mental Health Review Board’s decision that the petitioner continued to meet the criteria for involuntary detention under the Mental Health Act

20. December 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Mental Health Review Board – Judicial review – Legislative compliance – Standard of review – Correctness – Mental health – Consent to treatment A.T. v. British Columbia (Mental Health Review Board), [2022] B.C.J. No. 2090, 2022 BCSC 1905, British Columbia Supreme Court, November 1, 2022, M.B. Blok J. The ...

Court of Appeal agrees it was not patently unreasonable for BC Human Rights Tribunal to summarily dismiss appellant’s discrimination complaint following his termination for using dating apps to hook up with male students on campus where he worked

15. November 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Human Rights Tribunal – Judicial review – Appeals – Standard of review – Patent unreasonableness – Employment – Termination of employment – Off-duty conduct – Human rights – Discrimination – Sexual orientation Conklin v. University of British Columbia, [2022] B.C.J. No. 1827, 2022 BCCA 333, British Columbia Court of ...

Small claims action dismissed after claimant’s failure to appear at settlement conference due to not seeing the notice of settlement conference in the mail during its COVID-related closure. Application to set that dismissal order aside was brought several months later and dismissed due to claimant’s lack of diligence

15. November 2022 0
Administrative law – Judicial review – Appeals – Delay – Standard of review – Reasonableness simpliciter – Fresh evidence – Admissibility Revive Spa Ltd. v. Melka Construction Ltd., [2022] B.C.J. No. 1831, 2022 BCCA 336, British Columbia Court of Appeal, September 23, 2022, E.A. Bennett, G. Dickson and K. Horsman JJ.A. The appellant’s small claims ...

Court of Appeal upholds Assessment Review Board’s decision on assessment of certain condominium rental properties

18. October 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Assessment Review Board – Equity – Judicial review – Standard of review – Reasonableness – Condominiums University of Alberta v. Edmonton (City), [2022] A.J. No. 1089, 2022 ABCA 290, Alberta Court of Appeal, September 13, 2022, T.W. Wakeling, J. Antonio and L.B. Ho JJ.A. The petitioner is an owner ...

Impossibility of Compliance Defence – Mount Polley’s attempt at avoiding contravention of its permit

18. October 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Environmental Appeal Board – Penalties – Compliance with legislation – Judicial review – Evidence – Standard of review – Reasonableness – Environmental matters – Assessment – Permits and licences – Inspections – Natural resources – Mining – Water Mount Polley Mining Corp. v. British Columbia (Environmental Appeal Board), [2022] ...

The COVID-19 pandemic does not necessarily constitute “extenuating circumstances” under the Residential Tenancy Act

20. September 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Residential Tenancy office – Judicial review – Delay – Standard of review – Patent unreasonableness Mawani v. Dobbs, [2022] B.C.J. No. 1388, 2022 BCSC 1285, British Columbia Supreme Court, July 29, 2022, B.J. Norell J. The petitioners, Nawaz and Shelina Mawani, sought judicial review pursuant to the Judicial Review ...

The Supreme Court of Canada established a new category of cases to which the correctness standard of review applies

20. September 2022 0
Administrative law – Decisions reviewed – Copyright Board – Judicial review – Statutory powers – Legislative compliance – Jurisdictional questions – Standard of review – Correctness Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada v. Entertainment Software Assn., [2022] S.C.J. No. 30, 2022 SCC 30, Supreme Court of Canada, July 15, 2022, R. Wagner ...