Real Estate
-
December 23, 2024
Late notice, lost coverage: Ontario Court of Appeal upholds insurer’s denial of defence
Karen Kerk was the designated insured under a home insurance policy (the policy) issued by Security National Insurance Company (the insurer). In 2016, Kerk and her spouse, Daniel Courtney (the applicants) sold their home in Gorham, Ont. (the property) to Danielle Fex and Robert Duncan (the purchasers). Despite Courtney’s representations that there were no water issues impacting the property, the purchasers soon discovered ice damming and mould growth in the home.
-
December 23, 2024
Competition watchdog launches two-month public consultation on anti-greenwashing amendments
The Competition Bureau seeks feedback from the bar and the public on the recent anti-greenwashing amendments to the Competition Act.
-
December 20, 2024
Trudeau unveils new cabinet with strong legal background as NDP threatens confidence vote
With his faltering government facing a non-confidence motion as early as Jan. 27, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has introduced eight new cabinet ministers whose tenure may last only weeks.
-
December 19, 2024
Mortgage relief measures saved Canadians $4 million in penalties, says Financial Consumer Agency
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) has published a report saying that Canadians with mortgages from federally regulated financial institutions (FRFIs) have benefited from more than 8,000 mortgage relief measures in the 12 months to June of this year.
-
December 19, 2024
Observers concerned about use of notwithstanding clause to protect Ontario trespass, drug use law
Ontario legislators will soon be grappling with recently introduced legislation to toughen trespass laws and tackle public drug use as part of its efforts to deal with homeless encampments in the province, but legal observers are raising questions about its constitutionality — and whether the provincial government will take steps to override the Charter to ensure it stays in place.
-
December 19, 2024
‘Lessons to be learned’ from report on University of Alberta campus protest, legal expert says
An independent review by a retired judge is calling the University of Alberta’s decision to call in police to remove pro-Palestinian protesters from its campus earlier this year reasonable, while also noting the school did an “about-face” after it promised earlier not to dismantle the protest encampment as long as it was peaceful.
-
December 17, 2024
$6 million settlement reached in Alberta REIT class action
A proposed settlement of $6 million has been reached to resolve the class action lawsuit over investments in Alberta-based Northwynd Real Estate Investment Trust alleging improper transfers.
-
December 17, 2024
New sanctions target Venezuela’s top judge and justice officials complicit in ‘fraudulent’ election
Venezuela's top judge, a prosecutor and two other judges are among five Venezuelan justice officials targeted by Canadian sanctions for what Ottawa says was their undermining of democracy and participating in “the fraudulent declaration of Nicolás Maduro as the winner” of Venezuela’s presidential election last July.
-
December 17, 2024
Leave to appeal allowed for electricity costs decision not subject to judicial review
The Ontario Court of Appeal has allowed leave to appeal a decision concerning costs relating to electricity for a new development, noting that it would be important for public economic interest to determine whether the electricity regulator is subject to judicial review on the matter.
-
December 17, 2024
Vavilov at five | Sara Blake
Five years ago, on Dec. 19, 2019, the Supreme Court of Canada, in Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) v. Vavilov, 2019 SCC 65, re-set the standard of review for questions of statutory interpretation. In that case, and two others decided in the same week, the court demonstrated how the new standard of review is to be applied.