New Court Proceedings - September 2021

Sexual assault survivors in Alberta face no time limits when seeking civil compensation, regardless of whether the abuse occurred recently or decades ago. Understanding your legal rights and available remedies can provide a path toward justice and healing, even when criminal proceedings aren't pursued or don't result in charges.

A U.S. appeals court has unanimously overturned certification of a securities class action against Boeing, establishing that plaintiffs must demonstrate a workable, class-wide damages methodology at the certification stage. This decision reinforces heightened standards for class certification that parallel evolving requirements in Canadian securities litigation, where courts increasingly demand concrete evidence and specific liability theories before approving class actions.

A mutual fund dealing representative sued the MFDA and OSC for $47.5 million in damages, alleging intentional torts including conspiracy, abuse of process, and malicious prosecution stemming from a regulatory investigation and enforcement proceedings. The 21-day trial resulted in complete dismissal of all claims, with the court making significant findings on regulatory immunity provisions and the scope of duties owed by securities regulators to regulated persons.

In-house counsel face critical decisions at the outset of internal investigations that determine the credibility and defensibility of the entire process. This guide examines the strategic questions around scope, privilege protection, external support, and documentation that must be addressed early—often under pressure and before the facts are fully known.

For many people in Ontario family court, the first case conference can feel uncertain. You may wonder whether anything meaningful can happen at this early stage, especially if disclosure is missing, support is needed, or temporary arrangements are required. While a case conference is not a trial, it can still be an important step in getting the case organized and moving forward.

The Supreme Court of Canada has delivered a landmark ruling declaring section 66 of the Conflict of Interest Act unconstitutional, fundamentally reshaping the boundaries between legislative authority and judicial oversight of administrative decisions. This unanimous decision addresses longstanding questions about the validity of privative clauses that restrict courts' ability to review findings by Parliament's ethics commissioner.

Deepfakes are reaching courts. Learn how a U.S. case dismissed for AI-generated evidence and Canadian authentication rules are changing what litigators must do now.

The Supreme Court of Canada has unanimously struck down a privative clause in the Conflict of Interest Act that attempted to bar judicial review of the Ethics Commissioner's decisions. The ruling establishes that the Constitution guarantees a minimum of legality review over all administrative decisions, with implications extending to labour relations, workers' compensation, and immigration legislation containing similar clauses.

A recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision provides important guidance for commercial lenders, borrowers, and guarantors on what happens when a loan is accelerated following default.

A British Columbia Supreme Court has issued a determination in a class action lawsuit against Alio Gold Inc., where shareholders alleged the company made negligent and fraudulent misrepresentations regarding its 2018 gold production projections during its acquisition of Rye Patch Gold Corp. The court found in favor of Alio Gold on all common issues, determining that no misrepresentations or omissions occurred and that shareholders suffered no damages as a result of the transaction.

Le Conseil d'examen du prix des médicaments brevetés (CEPMB) a lancé une consultation supplémentaire de 30 jours sur un projet de directives relatives à la pratique révisées...

Santé Canada a publié de nouvelles modifications réglementaires visant à renforcer sa capacité à prévenir et résoudre les pénuries de médicaments et d'instruments médicaux.

L'Agence des médicaments du Canada établit des principes directeurs pour l'utilisation de l'intelligence artificielle dans la génération de preuves cliniques du contexte réel.

The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) has launched a second 30-day consultation on revised proposed Practice Directions for hearings related to excessive medicine pricing and compliance with filing requirements. The revised directions incorporate feedback from the initial consultation, with a summary chart detailing all edits available for stakeholder review.

Canada's Drug Agency has released new guidance on using artificial intelligence methods to generate real-world evidence for health technology assessments, establishing governance considerations and appraisal principles that emphasize transparency, human oversight, and validation. The agency also launched initiatives supporting precision medicine decision-making, including testing procedure assessments and a pan-Canadian framework for biomarker evaluation in cancer care.

Health Canada has published comprehensive amendments to drug and medical device shortage regulations, introducing expanded reporting requirements, extended expiration date authorities, and enhanced exceptional importation frameworks. The new measures grant the Minister of Health broader powers to prevent and respond to supply disruptions while requiring manufacturers to provide 12-month advance notice of discontinuations.

Health Canada has announced significant regulatory changes for medical device establishment licensing, set to take effect in December 2026. These Phase II amendments aim to streamline requirements...

Santé Canada modernise son processus d'octroi de licences d'établissement d'instruments médicaux avec des modifications réglementaires majeures entrant en vigueur en décembre 2026. Ces changements visent à alléger le fardeau réglementaire, promouvoir l'innovation et améliorer la compétitivité de l'industrie canadienne des dispositifs médicaux.

Santé Canada a obtenu une injonction permanente contre Canlab Research, interdisant la vente de peptides injectables non autorisés au Canada. Cette décision fait suite à des mesures coercitives répétées visant à protéger les consommateurs contre des produits non homologués présentant des risques graves pour la santé.

Santé Canada a lancé un nouveau portail de recherche des essais cliniques et publié une ligne directrice mise à jour sur l'enregistrement et la divulgation des résultats.