In 2015, I was honoured to speak to Stieber Berlach’s clients on the then recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision and leading case on surveillance, Iannarella v. Corbett, 2015 ONCA 110 (CanLII) (http://canlii.ca/t/ggbk3). I was pleased to deliver a paper I had written on the topic of properly using surveillance evidence in litigation cases. Fast-forward three … Continued
Insights
& Commentary
Insights list
Ontario Court of Appeal Validates Liability Waivers
Background In Schnarr v. Blue Mountain Resorts Limited, 2018 ONCA 313, two appeals were heard together as they raised common issues. The cases have similar facts, as the plaintiffs were both patrons of ski resorts and had executed waivers of liability as a condition of their ski tickets. In both cases, the plaintiffs had been injured … Continued
by Andrea LeDrew
Leave Granted to Examine Non-parties in Favour of Full Discovery
It is an era of broad disclosure for civil litigants. In Kissoon v. Aviva Insurance Company of Canada[1], Mr. Justice C. De Sa J. demonstrated this by granting leave for examination of occupants of a car involved in a motor vehicle accident as non-parties. The motion stemmed from three separate actions which were commenced by three … Continued
by Katherine Di Tomaso
Expert Evidence in Occupiers’ Liability Trials Involving Flooring Material
A recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision, Tondat v. Hudson’s Bay Company, 2018 ONCA 302 (“Tondat”), upheld the trial judge’s finding of liability in a slip and fall accident: http://canlii.ca/t/hr6rs. The case arises from a plaintiff’s slip and fall on a wet tile floor in the Bay. The sole issue on appeal was whether the trial … Continued
by Katherine Di Tomaso
When Does the Limitation Period Start to Run for a Third Party Claim?
The Issue An important decision was released on May 7, 2018 by the Ontario Court of Appeal in the case of Mega International Commercial Bank (Canada) v. Yung, 2018 ONCA 429, stating that the two year limitation period for third party claims for contribution and indemnity under s. 18 of the Limitations Act, 2002, SO 2002, c … Continued
by Simon Clements
The Framework: Anti-Slapp Legislation
Section 137.1 of the Courts of Justice Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.43 (the “CJA”) was enacted in response to strategic litigation against public participation (“SLAPP”) lawsuit. Such lawsuits use the court system to limit the effectiveness of the opposing party’s speech or conduct. The stated purpose of sections 137.1 to 137.5 of the CJA is to: Encourage individuals to … Continued
Managing Surveillance
In 2015, I was honoured to speak to Stieber Berlach’s clients on the then recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision and leading case on surveillance, Iannarella v. Corbett, 2015 ONCA 110 (CanLII) (http://canlii.ca/t/ggbk3). I was pleased to deliver a paper I had written on the topic of properly using surveillance evidence in litigation cases. Fast-forward three … Continued
by Katherine Di Tomaso
Preventing Extensions Of Limitation Periods
Newly developing law concerning extending limitation periods was clarified in a recent decision of the Ontario Superior Court. In Peloso v. Griesbach, 2018 ONSC 798, the court considered whether a limitation period could be extended beyond two years where a tort claimant is engaged in a process to limit or remove its damages. The law that … Continued
The Sound of Silence – The Ontario Court of Appeal Interprets Silence in a Termination Clause
The Court of Appeal has provided some much needed clarification on the ever changing subject of enforceability of employment contracts. In Nemeth v. Hatch Ltd., 2018 ONCA 7 (“Nemeth”), the plaintiff (appellant) was employed with the defendant for about 19 years. He was terminated and was given eight weeks’ notice of termination, 19.42 weeks’ salary as … Continued
by Jessica DiFederico