Nathan Shaheen

The applicant, an Ontario company operating a mine in Newfoundland, sought an interpleader order under Rule 43 to pay quarterly royalties into court.

The applicant faced conflicting demands regarding payment due to a corporate governance dispute over the parent company of the creditor, which was being litigated in the Cayman Islands and British Columbia.

The court dismissed the application, finding that Rule 43 is unavailable when the court lacks jurisdiction to determine the underlying dispute over corporate control.

However, the court granted interim relief allowing the applicant to pay the funds to the creditor's counsel in trust for 90 days to permit the commencement of interpleader proceedings in the appropriate forum.

The plaintiff law firm sued a former client for defamation, alleging he posted fake negative online reviews after failing to pay his legal fees.

At a case conference, the self-represented defendant sought various forms of relief, including leave to move to dismiss the claim, set aside a prior consent injunction order, and compel early production of evidence.

The court dismissed the requests, finding they constituted an improper collateral attack on the prior order and that the evidentiary requests should be addressed through the normal discovery process.