Ontario's Class Proceedings Act, 1992 was
introduced almost 30 years ago. Since then, class actions in Canada
have expanded in volume and impact.
The Law Commission of Ontario is an independent law reform
agency with a mandate to promote law reform, advance access to
justice, and stimulate public debate. About two years ago, the Law
Commission began a process of consultation with stakeholders across
Ontario's justice system to review class actions practice in
the province and throughout Canada. The process culminated in the
recently released report entitled "Class Actions: Objectives, Experiences and
Reforms."
In writing this report, the Law Commission's stated
objective was to analyze whether class actions practice in Ontario
is meeting its three main objectives: access to justice, judicial
economy, and behaviour modification.
