Darla A. Wilson

The Court of Appeal for Ontario dismissed Susan Hutchison’s appeal from an order requiring her to pay spousal support to Matthew Bosrock and her application for leave to appeal the trial judge’s costs award.

The court found no error in the trial judge’s assessment of income, consideration of mortgage repayments, or imputation of income.

The court also upheld the costs award, finding that the trial judge properly considered the divided success at trial and the time spent on the main issues.

The Court of Appeal for Ontario dismissed the appeal of Canguard Group Limited and others from a partial summary judgment order declaring a mortgage on the respondent’s property void as a fraudulent conveyance.

The court found no error in the motion judge’s reliance on the evidentiary record, including affidavits, and held that the appellant’s failure to respond or provide discovery justified summary judgment.

The court also rejected arguments regarding the scope of the order and the appropriateness of partial summary judgment.

This decision concerns a class action brought by victims and families of the 2018 Danforth Avenue shooting against Smith & Wesson Corp., alleging negligence for failing to implement authorized user technology in its handguns.

The Court of Appeal for Ontario held that the plaintiffs’ negligence claim should proceed as a class action, finding that the claim disclosed a reasonable cause of action and that the certification judge erred by applying a merits-based test at the certification stage.

The court struck the strict liability and public nuisance claims, holding that Canadian law does not recognize such claims against product manufacturers in these circumstances.

The Court of Appeal for Ontario dismissed the appeal of three decisions arising from a single summary judgment motion regarding the status of a disputed portion of a road ("Road A") in the Township of Coleman.

The appellants sought a declaration that the road was a public, common, or access road to facilitate subdivision approval and claimed damages for alleged municipal misfeasance.

The court found no error in the motion judge’s use of partial summary judgment, nor in his findings that the road was neither a public nor common road.

The court also dismissed motions to admit fresh evidence and denied leave to appeal the costs order.

This decision concerns competing applications for declaratory relief between the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of Canada and the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America regarding membership and voting rights in the Canadian corporation.

The Court of Appeal upheld the application judge’s finding that a 2015 bylaw creating two classes of members (one voting, one non-voting) remained in force, and that a subsequent attempt to restore voting rights to personal members via federal continuance was ultra vires without a special resolution.

Both the appeal and cross-appeal were dismissed.

The Court of Appeal for Ontario dismissed the appeal of the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 1587, upholding the Divisional Court’s decision to quash an arbitration award that reinstated five employees dismissed by Metrolinx for sexual harassment.

The Court found that the arbitrator made legal and factual errors, including failing to recognize Metrolinx’s statutory duty to investigate workplace harassment even in the absence of a formal complaint, and improperly relying on myths and stereotypes about victim behaviour.

The matter was remitted to a new arbitrator for reconsideration.

The Court of Appeal for Ontario allowed the Crown's appeal from sentence, finding that the sentencing judge erred by imposing a two-year weapons prohibition under s. 51(3) of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) following a youth's guilty plea to first-degree murder.

The Court held that the correct provision was s. 51(1), which requires a longer prohibition for offences subject to mandatory orders under s. 109 of the Criminal Code.

Both parties agreed to set aside the two-year prohibition and impose a 12-year weapons prohibition.

The Court substituted the appropriate order, noting the respondent's planning and aggravating circumstances.

Michael Katz appealed the two-year sentence imposed after pleading guilty to several offences, including possession of a loaded firearm, assaulting a police officer with a weapon, impaired operation of a motor vehicle, and failing to remain at the scene of an accident.

The Court of Appeal granted leave to appeal but dismissed the appeal, finding no error in the sentencing judge’s approach or conclusions.

The court also substituted a three-year driving prohibition, to commence from the date of sentencing, in place of the original 18-month prohibition, in accordance with the Criminal Code and relevant case law.

The appellant, Randall Thring, appealed the imposition of a 20-year SOIRA order following his guilty plea to communicating for the purpose of obtaining sexual services from a person under 18.

The Court of Appeal found that the trial judge erred in treating the SOIRA order as mandatory, but held that the order was still appropriate in the circumstances.

The appeal was dismissed, and the request for anonymization of the appellant's name was also denied.

The appellant, Shawn Frederick Prindle, appealed his sentence for multiple convictions including assault, assault with a weapon, theft, mischief to property, and breach of recognizance.

He argued that the sentencing judge erred by not granting credit for time spent under strict bail conditions (Downes credit) and by rejecting a conditional sentence.

The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal in part, reducing the global sentence to 365 days’ imprisonment (with 21 days presentence custody deducted), but declined to substitute a conditional sentence, finding a custodial sentence was still required given the gravity and context of the offences.

The Court of Appeal for Ontario dismissed the appeal of Damodar Arapakota and the Arapakota 2006 Family Trust from the Superior Court’s order dismissing their application for delay.

The Court found no error in the motion judge’s conclusion that the delay was inordinate and inexcusable, and that the presumption of prejudice was not rebutted.

The Court also refused to admit fresh evidence, finding it could have been obtained earlier and would not have affected the outcome.

The appeal was dismissed and costs were awarded to the respondents.

The appellant, Zeljko Rajic, appealed a decision denying his entitlement to post-judgment interest following a settlement agreement with his former counsel and their law firm.

The Court of Appeal held that post-judgment interest under section 129 of the Courts of Justice Act does not apply where no court order for payment has been made, and the settlement did not expressly provide for such interest.

The appeal was dismissed, and costs were awarded to the respondents.

The appellant, S.D.C., appealed his convictions for sexual assault and sexual interference against his daughter.

He argued that the trial judge unevenly scrutinized the evidence and failed to properly apply the principles from R. v. W.(D.).

The Court of Appeal found no error in the trial judge’s approach, holding that her reasons were careful, comprehensive, and entitled to deference.

The appeal was dismissed.

The Court of Appeal for Ontario dismissed Stephen Harbour’s appeal from the order of Justice William S. Chalmers, which required Harbour to indemnify Puneet Brar and Realtus Law Professional Corporation for payment of a Canada Revenue Agency lien on Harbour’s property.

The court found no error in the application judge’s findings regarding the interpretation of the indemnity agreement, the need to convert the application to an action, or the finding of unjust enrichment.

The appeal was dismissed with costs to the respondents.

The Court of Appeal for Ontario dismissed a motion by Rajinder Singh Rathee to amend a previous appellate decision regarding the quantum of lump sum spousal support.

The court held that the alleged error was not a clerical or accidental slip within the meaning of Rule 59.06(1) of the Rules of Civil Procedure, but rather a substantive disagreement with the court’s reasoning.

The motion was dismissed and costs were awarded to Noelle Heen-Lune Rathee.

The appellant, Clayton Williams, appealed his conviction and indeterminate sentence for offences arising from two break and enters, one involving the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl.

The Court of Appeal rejected arguments that the verdict was unreasonable, that the search warrant was invalid, and that a determinate sentence with long-term supervision was more appropriate.

The court found the trial judge’s factual findings and risk assessment reasonable and dismissed the appeal.

The Court of Appeal for Ontario dismissed the father’s appeal from a family law order that varied parenting and support arrangements.

The court found that the trial judge’s reasons were clear, sound, and based on the evidence, and that the findings were consistent with the Divorce Act.

The trial judge’s decision to grant the mother primary care and sole decision-making authority, as well as to vary child and spousal support, was upheld.

The court emphasized deference to the trial judge’s factual findings and the best interests of the children.

The Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed David Jarvis’s appeal regarding his entitlement to exercise stock options after resigning as a director of 1CM Inc. The court found that the corporate documents clearly required Jarvis to be a director at the time of exercising the options.

Jarvis failed to demonstrate any error in the application judge’s interpretation of the plan.

The respondent was awarded costs of $15,000.

These two appeals arise from a receivership order under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.

The motion judge found both the debtor and its management, as well as United Group of Companies and its management, in civil contempt of the receivership and asset recovery orders.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeals, finding no error in the motion judge’s reasoning or exercise of discretion, and confirmed the costs awards and sentences imposed.

This endorsement addresses motions for leave to intervene in an appeal by Antonio Caruso challenging the Law Society of Ontario’s restrictions on paralegals’ scope of practice in immigration matters.

The Court grants leave to intervene to the Ontario Paralegal Association, the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association, and the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, but denies leave to the Canadian Paralegal Alliance.

The decision reviews the relevant principles for intervention, the backgrounds and proposed contributions of each intervener, and the reasons for granting or denying leave.