Competition Bureau Loses Major Bid-Rigging Case

An Ontario jury recently found nine defendants not guilty of 60 charges of bid-rigging and conspiracy to rig bids, following an eight-month trial and six days of deliberation.¹

This case is another example of the fact that while the Competition Bureau (Bureau) has been successful in using the immunity and leniency programs, and in securing guilty pleas, it has been less successful in prosecuting bid-rigging and other criminal offences such as cartel activity under the Competition Act. That being said, the length of the investigation and trial underscores the benefits of good compliance practices so as to minimize the likelihood of running afoul of the Competition Act in the first place.