Approximately four years have passed since the new amendments to
Ontario's Class Proceedings Act, 1992 came
into force. One of the most significant amendments was the addition
of subsection 5(1.1) to the preferable procedure criterion set out
in section 5(1)(d).
Previously, certification required the plaintiff to provide some
basis in fact that the class action is the preferable procedure for
resolving the complaint, in that the class action must be: (1)
fair, efficient and manageable; and (2) preferable to any other
available method of resolution. The amendments added two additional
requirements, stipulating that a class action will be deemed
preferable for resolving common issues “only if, at a
minimum”: (i) the class action is superior to all reasonably
available alternative resolution procedures; and (ii) the common
issues predominate over individual issues.