On June 30, 2021, the Village of Lytton in rural British Columbia was devastated by a wildfire that resulted in personal injury, the destruction of homes and livelihoods, and the tragic loss of life. Various court proceedings...more
What Canadian process is available for mass torts when a class action cannot be certified? That is one question addressed by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Carcillo v Canadian Hockey League (Carcillo)....more
We begin with an update on a trilogy of privacy class actions appeals in which plaintiffs sought, unsuccessfully, to expand the tort of intrusion upon seclusion. Next, we canvass the various approaches of Ontario courts...more
The Ontario Court of Appeal recently ruled that an organization that fails to take adequate steps to safeguard personal information in its possession cannot be held liable under the tort of intrusion upon seclusion when that...more
In Stewart v. Demme, the Ontario Divisional Court (the “Court”) overturned the certification of an intrusion upon seclusion claim in a data breach class action against a hospital, where a nurse used patient health records to...more
Looking Forward: Class Actions in 2021 - In July 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada released its highly anticipated decision in Atlantic Lottery Corporation Inc. v Babstock—Bennett Jones acted for ALC. The decision put to...more
Instability and uncertainty were the two constants in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic uprooted social norms and challenged businesses. The long range impact of that instability and uncertainty remains to be seen. For different...more