Vlex has updated its search capabilities with the latest update to Vincent, its A.I. research assistant, with cross-jurisdictional recommendations.
“As of November 2021, vLex users can discover recommendations from multiple jurisdictions that differ from that of the document they are looking at. For example, a lawyer using Vincent to analyse a document from the Caribbean or Canada will now see recommendations of textually similar and relevant authorities from the UK, and many other jurisdictions. Importantly, this will enable lawyers to build better arguments using on-point cases and persuasive authorities from jurisdictions that are most relevant to them.”
For more details, this post from Mishcon de Reya lays out the recent trends and advantages of searching other jurisdictions, and also explains why there is still some hesitancy and why judges typically prefer to cite jurisdictions that are geographically nearby.
A full list of new issues from popular journals provided below. For a PDF copy of any of these articles, email us at library@lawsociety.mb.ca.
Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law
Crimes Against D/democracy 15 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 461 Gregory Tardi
Canada’s Judicial Appointment Process le Processus des Nominations à la Magistrature au Canada 15 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 465 Roger Bilodeau,
Is the British North America Act, 1916 Still on the Books? The Balfour Declaration, Constitutional Amendments and Statute Law Revision Acts 15 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 471 Thomson Irvine
“The British North America Act, 1916 was a highly significant statute in its time. Enacted in the middle of the Great War by the British Parliament at the request of the Parliament of Canada, it extended the life of the twelfth Parliament of Canada by one year, deferring the federal general election from 1916 to 1917.1 That deferral contributed to the Conscription Crisis of 1917, which shattered national unity on linguistic lines. The BNA Act, 1916 also set the precedent for s. 4(2) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, *472 which allows for the extension of the term of the House of Commons or a provincial legislative assembly during war, invasion or insurrection.2 The BNA Act, 1916 was a major piece of constitutional legislation.Yet the BNA Act, 1916 is not included in the list of statutes which make up the Constitution of Canada”
The Promise of R. v. Sharma: An Opportunity to Constitutionalize the Principle of Restraint as a Principle of Fundamental Justice 15 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 505 Michael A. Crystal
The Justiciability of the Right to Free Basic Education Conundrum in Nigeria, South Africa and India: From Obstacle to Miracle 15 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 525 Emmanuel Olugbenga Akingbehin
The Antagonistic Style of Judicial Review in Bangladesh: A Good Candidate for the Dialogic Model? 15 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 549 M. Jashim Ali Chowdhury
Viruses and Votes: Elections During COVID-1915 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 575 Matthew LeBlanc
The Canadian Approach to Inmate Voting Rights 15 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 585 Kimvy Ngo
(Mis)Direct Democracy: Social Constraints and Legal Solutions for Referenda Concerning Electoral Reform in Canada 15 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 595 Kassandra Neranjan
The “Democratic Deficit” of the European Union: Fact or Fiction? 15 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 607 Liam Brunton
Can a Senator Be Suspended without Pay? The Duffy Case 15 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 623 B. Thomas Hall
Canadian Refugee Lawyers Association (CARL) v. Canada: Legal Challenge to COVID-19 Direct Back Policy for Refugee Claimants 15 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 637 Arghavan Gerami, Stéfanie Morris
Notable Case Law Concerning Legislative Bodies and Their Members 15 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 645 Melanie J. Mortensen
Book Reviews
Review of: Law, Rights, and Discourse: The Legal Philosophy of Robert Alexy by George Pavlakos, ed. (Portland, Ore.: Hart Publishing, 2007) 15 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 663 Megan Ma
Review of: Fundamental Justice: Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by Hamish Stewart (Toronto: Irwin Law, 2020) 15 J. Parliamentary & Pol. L. 671 Michael A. Crystal , Peter Ketcheson
Intellectual Property Journal
The Perplexities of Patent Prosecution History: Procedure over Principle? 33 I.P.J. 225 David Vaver
Assessing Trademark Distinctiveness: Comment on Section 32(1)(b) of the Trademarks Act 33 I.P.J. 241 Daniel R. Bereskin, C.M., Q.C.
AI and Patents: Finding Harmony between Protection of Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation 33 I.P.J. 253 Anna Morrish
Assessing the Governance of Wearable Technology in the Changing Privacy RegulatoryFramework 33 I.P.J. 279 Summer Lewis
The Right to Be Forgotten in Canada 33 I.P.J. 303 Elif Babaoglu “Even though a vast majority of Canadians currently express that they are concerned with losing control of their personal information, Canadian law does not provide individuals with a right to be forgotten to remedy this issue. Accordingly, Canadian data protection laws should be reformulated to encompass and implement a law similar to the right to be forgotten to provide data subjects with more robust protections for their fundamental rights and freedoms.”
Insolvency Institute of Canada Articles
This is an Intervention: Reflections on the Interventions Brought by the Insolvency Institute of Canada between 2013-2020 I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-15
Is Canada a Beacon of Co-operation in International Insolvency Proceedings? Recent Developments Under Part IV of the CCAA (Articles) I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-7
Guiding Principles for Distressed M&A Transactions: Choosing the Right Path and the Future of POAs and RVOs I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-5
Reverse Vesting Transactions: An Innovative Solution to Restructure Insolvent Cannabis Companies I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-10
The Use of Pierringer Releases in CCAA Restructuring Plans: A Bicycle for a Fish? I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-13
”Come a Little Bit Closer”: Convergence and its Limits in Canadian Restructuring Law I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-1
The Art of Marshalling: The Good, the Bad, and the Potential I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-11 “The equitable doctrine of marshalling is seldom in the forefront of judicial discussion and appears infrequently in case law; however when it is raised, it gives reason for pause. Marshalling recently came to the writers’ notice as being worthy of closer attention as a result of the Manitoba Court of Appeal’s decision in Wolfe et al. v. Taylor. The Manitoba Court of Appeal’s decision to decline to apply the doctrine was based primarily on the “single common debtor rule.” The appeal court’s refusal to give effect to the doctrine of marshalling forms the impetus for this paper, which re-examines the numerous and technical rules governing the applicability of the doctrine, and how the doctrine has not been applied flexibly. The authors then advocate for a more flexible approach to be taken (“it’s time to start”), and explore how marshalling may be used within an insolvency proceeding to achieve the desired flexibility.”
Measuring Up: Improving Analysis of Outcomes in CCAA Cases I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-8
Creditor Protection and Litigation Funding Arrangements in the Wake of Bluberi I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-4
The Cost of Doing Business: Issues Regarding Priority for Environmental Reclamation Costs and Lessons from the Yukon Zinc Receivership I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-12
How Safe is the Harbour: Eligible Financial Contracts and the Bellatrix CCAA Proceedings I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-6
The Use of Third-Party Releases in Canadian Restructuring Proceedings I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-14
Where’s the Plan? The Declining Role of CCAA Plans in the Canadian Restructuring Landscape, and When They Still May be Needed I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-16
Consent is Key: Constituting Pledges of Cash in Québec I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-2
Recent Developments in CBCA Plans of Arrangement — Finding the Balance Between a Facilitative and a Functional Process I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-9
Court Officers as Litigants, or What Happens When Restructuring Professionals Step into the Ring I.I.C. Art. Vol. 10-3
Education and Law Journal
Classrooms in Crisis: Workplace Violence and Harassment Experienced by Educators in Ontario 30 Educ. & L.J. 149 Jennifer Del Riccio
In the Crosshairs: The Precarious Status of Academic Freedom in the United States and Australia 30 Educ. & L.J. 197 Paul Babie, Charles J. Russo
The Status of Youth under the Civil Code of Quebec 30 Educ. & L.J. 173 Ned Lecic, Marvin A. Zuker
Remote Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Interpretation of Collective Agreements 30 Educ. & L.J. 219 Natasha Abraham
Reaffirming Deference to Joint Submissions on Penalty 30 Educ. & L.J. 225 Parmbir Gill
Good Intentions Are Not Good Enough: Sexual Misconduct Policies Do Not Guarantee Reasonable Outcomes for Students 30 Educ. & L.J. 231 Emily Home “Since 2016, post-secondary institutions in Ontario have been required to have a sexual violence policy that outlines how they address complaints and incidents of sexual violence. However, the legislature has not dictated the contents of that policy, merely that a policy must exist. There have been numerous high-profile news stories across the country that demonstrate many universities are still struggling with the balance to be struck between protecting students from sexual misconduct, punishing students who engage in sexual misconduct, and maintaining procedural fairness and integrity. Doe v. the University of Windsor is another demonstration of the fact that the mere existence of a sexual violence policy is not sufficient to guarantee a reasonable outcome. Universities must ensure that investigators and decision-makers are trained in handling such matters, in order to avoid unreasonable outcomes such as the one addressed by the Divisional Court in this case.”
Canadian Criminal Law Review
The Reasonableness of Regulatory Searches: Saying Goodbye to the Criminal-Regulatory Binary 26 Can. Crim. L. Rev. 77 Steven Penney
The Rule of Law: The Role of the Various Participants in a National Security Context 26 Can. Crim. L. Rev. 29 George G. Dolhai
Fault, Causation and Absolute Liability in Criminal Code s. 320.14 26 Can. Crim. L. Rev. 1 Ami Kotler “As a matter of legal theory, however, the amendments raise difficult questions about the status of liability. As the law has recognized for many years, driving covers a continuum of risky behaviours, some of which are allowed, some of which are appropriately covered by regulatory offences and some of which are truly criminal. Any of these can cause a collision that results in death or bodily harm. By failing to connect the accused’s driving to his or her intoxication, do the new sections allow absolute liability–that is, liability in the absence of fault concerning the death/bodily harm element of the offence? If not, what is the fault component attached to that element? What is its threshold? These may prove hard questions to answer, particularly where an accused causes death or bodily harm while driving unremarkably notwithstanding his or her impairment.”
Book Reviews
A Guide to Mental Disorder Law in Canadian Criminal Justice (Michael Davies, Anita Szigeti, Meaghan McMahon and Jill R. Presser, LexisNexis: 2020) 26 Can. Crim. L. Rev. 109
Meaghan McMahon and Jill R. Presser, LexisNexis: 2020) 26 Can. Crim. L. Rev. 109 Justice Patrice F. Band
Oxford: Hart Publishing: 2018. Pp. xxxv, 275) Canadian Criminal Law Review 26 Can. Crim. L. Rev. 117 Barry Sullivan
Detention of Terrorism Suspects: Political Discourse and Fragmented Practices (Maureen Duffy, Oxford: Hart Publishing: 2018. Pp. xxxv, 275) 26 Can. Crim. L. Rev. 117 Barry Sullivan
Canada-United States Law Journal
Welcome & Opening Of The 2020 Cusli Symposium 145 Can.-U.S. L.J. 1Stephen J. Petras, Jr., The Honorable James J. Blanchard, Chios Carmody, Speakers
Keynote Presentation–Harmful Algal Blooms In The Great Lakes Basin: A Binational Sub-Federal Approach? 145 Can.-U.S. L.J. 5Dr. Kathryn Bryk Friedman, Dr. Irena F. Creed, Speakers
Government Regulatory Panel 145 Can.-U.S. L.J. 13Stephen J. Petras, Jr., Katrina Kessler, Karen Stainbrook, Dr. Madeline Magee, Michael Alexander, Chitra Gowda, Tricia Mitchell, Dr. Lucinda Johnson, Moderator, Speakers
Academic & Ngo Panel 145 Can.-U.S. L.J. 30Stephen J. Petras, Jr., Todd Brennan, Dr. Diane Dupont, Howard Learner, Moderator, Speakers
Question & Answer Period 145 Can.-U.S. L.J. 40Stephen J. Petras, Jr., Moderator
Conclusion By The Authors 145 Can.-U.S. L.J. 48Dr. Kathryn Bryk Friedman, Dr. Irena F. Creed, Speakers
Canada-U.S. Law Institute Special Webinar On The 2020 U.S. Election–The 2020 U.S. Election: Implications For Canada 145 Can.-U.S. L.J. 52Dr. Christopher Sands, Chios Carmody, Speakers
Welcome & Opening Of The 2020 Cusli Experts’ Meeting 145 Can.-U.S. L.J. 71Stephen J. Petras, Jr., Dr. Christopher Sands, The Honorable Jane Harman, Speakers
Keynote Address–The United States And Canada: Outlook For Bilateral Relations In 2021 145 Can.-U.S. L.J. 75Ambassador Kirsten Hillman, The Honorable Jane Harman, Moderator
Panel Discussion–Predictions For The Bilateral Relationship 145 Can.-U.S. L.J. 81Diane Francis, Lauren Gardner, Alexander Panetta, Moderator, Speakers
For those that missed the webinar on September 28th, we now have the entire presentation available for viewing any time.
This webinar is a quick, but thorough overview of what the vLex platform has to offer and how it can assist you in your legal research. It covers all major features including customizing your personal news feed, available extensions and add-ons.
Learn how to browse through the large collection of case law, legislation, blog, articles, and books, including the complete Irwin Law collection. This collection includes the informative Essentials of Canadian Law series. Texts on vLex have been enhanced with integrated references, citations, and related documents to help you find similar information.
This video also covers how to search, organize, save, navigate, and create alerts for relevant decisions and commentary. It also touches on how to use helpful tools like the precedent map, and the intelligent assistant ‘Vincent’, vLex’s own A.I.
To watch the webinar, go to the Library Resources section behind the Member’s Portal and click the link. If you have any questions about this, or any of our online resources, email the library at library@lawsociety.mb.ca.
CanLII has recently added two new open access eBooks to their commentary database. To stay up to date with CanLII new releases or to see what is popular, be sure to visit their blog at blog.canlii.org.
“Professor Beswick’s course readings are a collection of edited decisions, legislation, and articles designed to support Tort Law courses in (common law) Canada. They are complemented by a series of multiple-choice quizzes and questions that students can complete in their own time. “
Written by a team of 124 leading litigators and legal experts, Civil Procedure and Practice in Ontario is an annotated guide to the Ontario Rules of Civil Procedure, the Courts of Justice Act, and the Limitations Act. It contains helpful commentary that contextualizes and explains the language of the legislation and regulations, along with examples of case law interpreting them.
Lawyers are now able to work in the library after hours. Protective Services will let in lawyers from 4:30 to 10:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Please note that there will be no staff support during those hours.
Tuesday, September 28, 2021, 12:00 p.m.—1:00 p.m. Irwin Law’s comprehensiveEssentials of Canadian Lawseries is moving from desLibris onto the vLex platform. Learn how to incorporate these texts, vLex and the AI assistant Vincent into your legal research with this free webinar. Eligible for 1 hour of CPD.
Email library@lawsociety.mb.ca to register. You will need to have Zoom installed on your device. Zoom link will be sent the day before the webinar.
September 17, 2021 , 12:00 noon – 1:15 p.m. Video Webinar August 2021 marks the 150th anniversaries of the signing of Treaties No. 1 and 2 in Manitoba. In honour of this important milestone, Dr. Niigaanwewidam (Niigaan) Sinclair will discuss the history of the two treaties, the significance of Section 35 of the ConstitutionAct, 1982 which entrenches treaty rights, and why an understanding of the treaties and the obligations and benefits that flow from them is essential knowledge for all Manitoba lawyers, regardless of your area of practice.
September 20 @ 8:00 am – September 23 @ 12:00 pm This training will provide an overview of the dynamics of domestic violence in the context of separation, divorce, and child custody and access. All are welcome to attend. The training will take place over 4 mornings (8 am – 12 pm Saskatchewan time), Monday, September 20 – Thursday, September 23. The training will be held using Zoom.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
In June, the federal government announced Sept. 30 as a new annual statutory day to reflect on the history and ongoing trauma caused by residential schools and to honour those who were lost and the survivors, families and communities who continue to grieve.
Sentencing — 10th ed. by Clayton Ruby This book canvasses the law of sentencing in a way that no other books on criminal law and sentencing are able: it succinctly outlines all of the significant facets of sentencing principles and procedure, and provides the reader with a comprehensive range of sentencing for various offences.
Executive Legislation — 3rd ed. by John Mark Keyes Examines what constitutes executive legislation, considers the constitutional framework for delegating executive legislative authority and the institutional controls on the delegation and exercise of this authority, and considers how executive legislation is made and operates within this context and provides a comparative law perspective ranging not only throughout Canada, but also across comparable Commonwealth jurisdictions.
Canadian Administrative Law — 3rd ed. by Guy Régimbald This third edition provides an updated look at administrative law in Canada, taking the new case law into account while providing readers with a comprehensive guide to the subject. It is a valuable reference for anyone involved in the practice or study of administrative law.
New Online Titles
From Heinonline
HeinOnline has added several new journal titles from Emerald Publishing to the Law Journal Library collection. This includes full text for all past issues of the journals, excluding the 2 most recent years, which are indexed only
International Journal of Law and Management
Journal of Financial Crime
Journal of International Trade Law and Policy
Journal of Property, Planning and Environmental Law
Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management
Book Review
Review taken from the Canadian Law Library Review Volume 46, No. 2.
The Canadian Law of Obligations: Access to Justice Edited by Hilary Young. Toronto: LexisNexis Canada, 2020. xxx, 255 p. Includes illustrations, bibliographic references, and index. ISBN 9780433505754 (softcover) $130.00. Review by Emily Nickerson
“…a product of the second biennial Canadian Law of Obligations conference held at the University of New Brunswick in 2019. This conference brought together legal scholars who presented and discussed how the Canadian law of obligations should evolve, particularly in light of the need for greater access to justice. …this book serves as a timely addition to the existing body of literature covering contracts, torts, and restitution. The papers in this volume invite readers to challenge the status quo and re-examine current assumptions on how traditional problems relating to contracts, torts, property, unjust enrichment, and civil procedure are addressed.”
Substantive Law
Administrative Law
Histed v. Law Society of Manitoba, 2021 MBCA 70: Appeal of conviction by a discipline panel of the respondent concerning four counts of professional misconduct. Appellant contends that the Panel erred in finding his conduct uncivil and constituted professional misconduct. Standard of review is that set out in Housen v. Nikolaisen. Appeal dismissed.
McHale et al. v. Manitoba (Education and Training),2021 MBQB 190: Reasons comparable to Stone v. Manitoba (Education and Training) below.
Stone v. Manitoba (Education and Training),2021 MBQB 187: Application for judicial review concerning a complaint dismissed by the Manitoba Human Rights Commission. Complaint concerns discrimination by failing to include materials on gender identity and sexual orientation in the kindergarten to grade 12 curriculum. The Commission investigated the complaint and submitted an investigation report, recommending that the complaint be referred to adjudication. The Commission dismissed the complaint. Kroft, J. finds the Commission’s decision is unreasonable due to insufficient reasons and directs them to reconsider the complaint.
Michele Santarsieri Inc. et al. v. Manitoba (Deputy Minister of Finance),2021 MBQB 174: Appeal of decision of the Tax Appeals Commission regarding assessments of payroll tax. Applicant claims bias, questions whether there was adequate evidence to make credibility findings, and appeals whether the test under s. 2(4.1) of HPSEA was properly applied. Substantive analysis of judicial consideration of reasonable apprehension of bias. Standard of review for issue of test application is palpable and overriding error. Grammond, J. affirmed the decision of the TAC.
Civil Litigation
Mirage Consulting Ltd. v. 5573344 Manitoba Ltd. et al.,2021 MBQB 186: Defendants’ motions for summary judgment on the grounds that there is no genuine issue requiring a trial. Issue is over interpretation of a restrictive covenant in a consulting agreement. McCawley, J. concluded that the consulting agreement expired, therefore the restrictive covenant did not come into effect. Motion granted.
Fisher River Cree Nation et al. v. Ochekwi-Sipi First Nation Personal Care Home Inc.,2021 MBQB 181: Application for a remedy under s. 234 of The Corporations Act regarding the repeal of a bylaw and passing of a new bylaw. Applicants must establish they have standing and that the conduct of the directors has been oppressive. Judicial consideration of oppression and whether it applies in this instance. Applicants are successful; remedy is to invalidate the second bylaw, and reinstate the initial one.
Private Trading Group, LLC v. The Government of Manitoba et al,2021 MBQB 180: Motion by defendant Sinclair for an order striking out the amended statement of claim against him. Plaintiff included him in its suit against the government for non-payment of a portion of its contract for the purchase of N95 masks. Plaintiff stated that defendant was acting in his capacity as a public officer as Deputy Minister of Central Services. Standard to have the claim struck is very high. Motion dismissed.
4508841 Manitoba Association Inc. v. Stuart Olson Construction Ltd. et al.,2021 MBQB 179: Application for leave to begin an action pursuant to The Limitation of Actions Act, s. 14(1). The respondents were responsible for constructing a seniors’ housing project in Ste. Anne in 2006. Applicants became aware of all material facts on or about July 21, 2016 and filed an application on June 16, 2017. Respondents opposed application on the basis that the applicant has not proven it has a cause of action with a reasonable chance of success. Application dismissed.
Paterson et al. v. Walker et al.,2021 MBQB 172 : Application for judicial review. Statement of claim was issued in August 2013. Dispute concerns the development of a lot at Falcon Lake; four main issues to be reviewed. Application for review concerns the plaintiffs’ complaints with the defendants’ regulatory decision making. Standard of review is reasonableness as set out in Vavilov. Consideration of The Provincial Parks Act, C.C.S.M. c. P20 and the Parks Activities Regulation, no. 141/96, as well as The Cottager’s Handbook, 3rd ed. Edmond, J. denies plaintiffs’ application to quash the site plan permit; finds the decision to issue a retroactive variance was reasonable; quashes a decision of the province not requiring defendants (Walkers) to comply with a 2018 order; and last order requiring the Walkers to reduce their development footprint by 244 square feet is reasonable. Divided success on the application; costs remain in the cause.
Sarrasin v. Sokal,2021 MBQB 171: Defendant’s motion to strike statement of claim of plaintiff without leave to amend. Plaintiff filed a claim of the following torts: defamation, malicious prosecution, and workplace harassment. Parties worked together at Canada Post and were active union members. Analysis of Queen’s Bench rule 25.06(1) and 25.11(1). Keyser, J. found that the claim must be struck in its entirety.
Wilde et al. v. The Rural Municipality of Taché et al.,2021 MBQB 166: Application seeking leave for an extension of time to bring an action under The Limitations of Actions Act. Issue is over the design and construction of the applicants’ residence. Contract to build home was signed in 2007 and applicants moved in in 2008. Significant defects were not discovered until 2018. Analysis of s.20(2), (3) and (4) of the LAA. McCawley, J. found that the parties should have known all material facts more than 12 months before seeking leave to being their action. Application dismissed.
Erika Chamberlain. Case Annotation: Caplan v. Atas, (2021) 71 C.C.L.T. (4th) 124). (WLNC – request a copy.) “This remarkable case continues the recent trend in Ontario of recognizing new intentional torts: intrusion on seclusion, public disclosure of private embarrassing facts, and publicity placing the plaintiff in a false light. All of these, but especially the last two, respond to the potential for defendants to inflict serious reputational harm and mental distress on plaintiffs by posting false, misleading, intimate, or humiliating matters on the internet.”
Cindy Kou. Barring New Bids from Contractors Who Have Made Claims Against Municipal Owners, (2021) 8 C.L.R. (5th) 170. (WLNC – request a copy.) “May municipal owners exclude bids from contractors who have previously sued the owners? Would it be unconstitutional or contrary to public policy for a municipality to do so?”
Criminal Law
R. v. Hjorleifson,2021 MBCA 69: Accused seeks leave to appeal his conviction for one count of assault and one count of uttering threats. Accused and victim were involved in divorce proceedings. Leave to appeal can only be granted on questions of law. Accused raised several grounds of appeal, but only one, inffective assistance of counsel, was a question of law. Appeal allowed on this ground only.
R. v. Letkeman, 2021 MBCA 68: Appeal by Crown of non-custodial sentence given to an RCMP officer for criminal negligence causing bodily harm. Offence was committed while accused was following a vehicle he suspected was being operated by an impaired driver. Passenger in the vehicle suffered severe and lifelong injuries. Court of Appeal found that the trial judge made errors in principle, leading to the imposition of an unfit sentence (para. 58). New sentence includes a three month period of incarceration (stayed). Burnett, J.A., in dissent, would have sentenced the accused to 36 months incarceration (para. 159).
Anderson (Re),2021 MBPC 38: Inquest under The Fatality Inquiries Act re Kevin Anderson. Death was caused by a train derailment. Mr. Anderson was the conductor. Track collapsed as the train travelled over it due to the wash out of the roadbed surface. Transportation Safety Board report summarized all the facts of the event and made several recommendations. Chief Medical Examiner directed the Chief Judge to call an inquest. Issues are 1) the respective roles of the Inquest Judge and the CME in setting the scope of an inquest; and 2) is the derailment a circumstance in which Mr. Anderson’s death occurred must be further investigated.
R. v. Hooke; Plamandon,2021 MBPC 34: Sentencing decision re conviction for the interprovincial transport of stolen restricted firearms. Several severe aggravating factors applicable to both accused. Mr. Hooke has some mitigating factors while Mr. Plamandon has very few. Sentencing centers on the moral culpability of the offenders.
R. v. Graham,2021 MBPC 33: Motion to have charges for a sexual assault stayed due to delay. Charges were laid 10 years ago and accused was not arrested until 2019 despite the RCMP being aware of his location in 2012 and 2014. Accused caused some delay by fleeing Thompson, but the Crown and RCMP are also responsible for some. Total delay from charge to trial is 10 years and 3 months; net delay is over eight years. Cawley, P.J. stayed the charge.
Michelle I. Bertrand, David Ireland, Richard Jochelson and Kathleen Kerr-Donohue. Dispensing Digital Justice: COVID-19, Courts and the Potentially Diminishing Role of Jury Trials. The Annual Review of Interdisciplinary Justice Research, Vol. 10, 2021.
Family Law
G.R.M. et al. v. The Director of Child and Family Services et al.,2021 MBQB 182: Defendants appeal decision of Master dismissing motion to strike out the plaintiffs’ statement of claim on the basis that it is an abuse of process. Appeal from a decision of a master is a fresh hearing. Issue is over apprehension of a child by the defendant. Appeal dismissed.
Chapman v. Russell et al.,2021 MBQB 173 : Application by grandmother for guardianship under The Child and Family Services Act, s.77, as well as interim child support. Child is now 17 and has lived with grandmother for several years. Father lives in B.C. Grandmother’s motion included a request for financial disclosure. Order by MacPhail, J. that father’s income be imputed at $150,000 and that be used to determine his child support obligation pursuant to the B.C. Table.
Smith v. Smith,2021 MBQB 169: Written reasons of the terms of a Final Order for relief corollary to a divorce that had been previously pronounced. Property issues had been settled. Child custody, support and spousal support to be settled by summary judgment. Analysis of application of current case law to a “parenting order”. Parties reached a settlement on custody issues and relocation via an interim order. Children were apprehended by CFS in Ontario; new order for custody filed by summary judgment. Johnston, J. finds that summary judgment is an appropriate method for a fair and just determination of the matter (para 27).
Wardrop v. Ericsson Canada Inc.,2021 MBQB 183: Motion by defendant seeking an order to stay the action in favour of arbitration. Defendant (employer) argues that the parties had an agreement to arbitrate the issue in dispute and thus the court has no jurisdiction. Plaintiff was terminated, given working notice and 78 weeks severance. Issue is whether Sales Incentive Plan payments should be included in his severance. Discussion of the “competence-competence principle” and significant analysis of when the court has discretion to retain jurisdiction and validity of agreement to arbitrate. Rempel, J. grants employer’s motion for a stay of the action commenced by the plaintiff.
People Corporation v. Mansbridge, 2021 MBQB 170: Motion for injunctive relief. Plaintiff seeks an interim, interlocutory and permanent injunction from defendant using plaintiff’s contacts to solicit business. Analysis of the test for granting an interlocutory injunction in the case of restrictive covenants in an employment contract. Harris, J. finds plaintiff has not established a strong prima facie case, as set out in the test in RJR-MacDonald.
Wills, Trusts & Estates
The Estate of William Alfred Kirkup,2021 MBQB 184: Reference re passing of accounts in case where respondent acted as attorney for deceased prior to his death but there was no power of attorney document. Respondent ordered to account for all money received and disbursed while the deceased was incompetent and incapable of managing his affairs but there are no or very few receipts. Bank statements do not cover the entire period. Sr. Master Clearwater is unable to determine a reasonable opening inventory for the estate or a reasonable closing inventory. Parties agree on some expenses and others are excluded.
C. David Freedman. Conflicts when Acting as Trustee and Lawyer. 40 Est. Tr. & Pensions J. 347. (Request a copy.)
Legislation
Federal
August 15, 2021
Her Excellency the Governor General, at the recommendation of the Prime Minister, issued a proclamation to dissolve the 43rd Parliament. For more information, please consult the section entitled “Dissolution” in Our Procedure.
The general election will be held on Monday, September 20, 2021.
The Manitoba Law Library would like to acknowledge with gratitude that we are situated on Treaty One Territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Cree and Dakota peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation.
Printing and Photocopying
If you need to use the library’s printing and photocopying services you will need to create an account. See us at the front desk for assistance.
Please note: The library will be closing early on Friday, December 13th at 11:00AM for a special event. Regular library service will resume Monday, December 16th at 8:30AM.
Please note: The library will be closed on Monday, November 11th, 2024. Regular library service will resume Tuesday, November 12th at 8:30AM.
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