Paul M. Ollivier

The appellant sought compensation from the Foreign Claims Commission for assets nationalized by Czechoslovakia.

The Commission and the Federal Court of Appeal denied her claim, finding her dominant nationality was Czechoslovakian, not Canadian, at the time of expropriation.

The Supreme Court of Canada allowed the appeal, holding that the Regulations defining 'Canadian citizen' were unambiguous and did not exclude dual citizens.

The Court applied the plain meaning rule, concluding that extraneous materials, such as international agreements or negotiators' reports, could not be used to interpret the clear terms of the domestic Regulations.

The respondent was receiving unemployment benefits when an amendment to the Unemployment Insurance Act took effect on January 1, 1976, reducing the age of entitlement from 70 to 65.

The respondent was over 65 but under 70.

On February 1, 1976, he began receiving a Quebec Pension Plan retirement pension, which was a disqualifying event under the pre-amendment Act.

The Supreme Court of Canada held that under section 35(c) of the Interpretation Act, the respondent's accrued rights under the pre-amendment Act continued, meaning he was entitled to benefits for January 1976, but his entitlement terminated on January 31, 1976, when the pension became payable.