Civil Litigation
-
August 05, 2025
Ontario Superior Court judge receives reprimand for 14-month delay in correcting sentencing error
A review panel of the Canadian Judicial Council (CJC) has issued a public reprimand to Justice Andrew J. Goodman of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice for his failure to promptly correct a significant sentencing error, concluding that his 14-month delay in addressing the mistake constituted “injudicious conduct” that undermined public confidence in the administration of justice.
-
August 07, 2025
Court cuts defendant children’s aid societies’ costs by 40% in birth alerts case
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has decreased children’s aid societies’ costs request by 40 per cent due to public interest concerns relating to a proposed class action against them for the discriminatory act of birth alerts.
-
August 07, 2025
Ontario court awards $291K to estate in promissory notes case, rejects corporate veil claim
In a decision offering guidance on multiple legal issues, an Ontario Superior Court judge has awarded summary judgment of nearly $291,000 to the estate of a deceased lender in a case involving two unpaid promissory notes, while rejecting attempts to hold a corporate executive personally liable for the debts.
-
August 07, 2025
CIVIL PROCEDURE - Appeals - Leave to appeal - Estoppel
Appeal by appellants against motion judge’s decision. The appellants discussed the possibility of the respondents, the appellant’s son and daughter-in-law, acquiring their dairy farm after which they sold the dairy herd to the respondents.
-
August 07, 2025
MLT Aikins welcomes Kember Handzic as partner
MLT Aikins has announced the addition of Edmonton litigator Kember Handzic to its partnership.
-
August 07, 2025
Jacqueline Sirois joins McDougall Gauley
McDougall Gauley LLP has announced that Jacqueline Sirois has joined the firm as an associate.
-
August 07, 2025
When the system fails: Why I pivoted from personal injury to private lending law
Some may know that I’ve recently embarked on an exciting new journey south of the border as co-owner of Geraci LLP, alongside my partner, Anthony Geraci. Joining forces with him has given me the opportunity to grow professionally in a vibrant, forward-thinking sector — one that feels increasingly different from the legal environment I’ve known for over two decades in Ontario.
-
August 07, 2025
Ontario Court of Appeal limits number of interveners in private employment dispute
In a private employment dispute, the Ontario Court of Appeal has allowed leave to intervene to only one of two proposed interveners as a friend of the court. The court found there would be unfairness if both were granted leave, despite both being well-placed to address public policy issues.
-
August 07, 2025
Stratford stands strong in Ontario Court of Appeal decision on side-yard squabbles
The case of 2708959 Ontario Inc. v. Stratford (City), 2025 ONCA 512 is an important decision for Ontario municipalities dealing with encroachments — when a private building or structure extends onto municipal land, such as a road allowance. This case clarifies what municipalities can do when they discover such encroachments, even if they have existed for many years. The Court of Appeal held that the municipality’s issuance of building permits did not expressly approve the encroachments.
-
August 07, 2025
Can a person have more than one spouse under estate law?
It may sound surprising, but under British Columbia’s Wills, Estates and Succession Act (WESA), it is indeed possible for someone to have more than one legal “spouse,” at least for the purpose of dividing an estate when there’s no will.