On January 18, 2018, the Ontario Securities Commission
(OSC) published and requested comments for a
proposed change to OSC Policy 15-601 Whistleblower Program
(Policy). The Whistleblower Program came
into effect in July 2016 and is intended to encourage individuals
to report information on serious securities-related misconduct to
the OSC to prevent or limit harm to investors, in exchange for
financial compensation.
Overview
Under the Whistleblower Program, individuals who report original
information that is of meaningful assistance to OSC staff in
investigating the matter and obtaining a decision under section 127
of the Securities Act (Ontario) (Securities
Act) or section 60 of the Commodity Futures
Act, and resulting in sanctions of $1,000,000 or more, may be
eligible for an award between 5 and 15% of the total sanctions
imposed and/or voluntary payments made in the relevant
proceedings.