By Lewis Waring, Paralegal, Student-at-law, Editor, First Reference Inc.

In Jones v Bayview Credit Union (“Jones”), an employer wrongfully dismissed an employee due to allegations that the employee disclosed confidential client information, violating confidentiality policies and procedures. Although the employee had accessed client information in the context of providing services to another client, this practice did not breach any client’s confidentiality rights. Instead, the employee remained alert to relevant privacy issues while accessing the confidential information of one client while assisting another. . . . [more]

On March 29, 2021 the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued a penalty of $75,000 under Canada’s Anti Spam Law (CASL) against an individual, Scott William Brewer, for what the CRTC described as a “series of high-volume spam campaigns”.

The CRTC alleged violations of S 6(1)(a), the requirement of consent, of CASL.^[1]

The Notice of Violation alleged that Mr. Brewer committed three violations between 2015 and 21018 sending 671,342 commercial electronic messages without the consent of the recipients.

In its investigation the CRTC located no evidence that Mr. Brewer had obtained any consent from any of the recipients. . . . [more]

The life of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, became easier on 2 April 2021 when United States (US) President Biden lifted harsh economic sanctions against her that had been authorised by former-President Trump on 15 June 2020 and applied on 2 September 2020. Ms. Bensouda’s nine-year term ends in June 2021, and her successor, UK lawyer Karim Khan QC, will begin his term free of the threat of US sanctions against him. Human rights advocates around the world are also breathing more easily now that their efforts to seek accountability for perpetrators of international . . . [more]

Each Wednesday we tell you which three English-language cases and which French-language case have been the most viewed* on CanLII and we give you a small sense of what the cases are about.

For this last week:

1. Ojanen v. Acumen Law Corporation, 2021 BCCA 189 (CanLII)

[57] Historically, damages in a wrongful dismissal action were limited to the loss suffered as a result of the employer’s failure to give proper notice: Addis v. Gramophone Co., [1909] A.C. 488 (H.L.). As this Court explained in Marchen v. Dams Ford Lincoln Sales Ltd., 2010 BCCA 29 at paras. . . . [more]

Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on practice, research, writing and technology.

Practice

Use Your Words (A 30-Day Challenge!)
Sandra Bekhor

It’s so tempting to scroll through your LinkedIn feed and ‘like’ stuff, isn’t it? There is so much pressure to show up and post something. Everyone else seems to be. But is hitting the ‘like’ button really the right response? …

Research & Writing

Past or Present?
Neil Guthrie

A student who is helping a partner with writing a book . . . [more]

As a coach, I am intensely interested in how we – professionals in the legal sector – can help retain young lawyers in the profession.

The young lawyers I speak with have a healthy perspective. They have the types of strengths and interests that align well with a career in law. They are interested in building meaningful and rewarding careers that also leave room for a life outside of law. I believe they are vital to helping transform the practice of law for the better.

And we need to retain them in the profession.

Too many young lawyers are leaving . . . [more]

Civil litigators are accustomed to counsel who pose and posture, typically needlessly, and in a manner that is counterproductive to resolution.

No, you will not likely be taking this matter to trial. That would be far too costly, and take far too much time for everyone involved, especially where the legal issues are just not that complex. In the meantime, counsel should put together practical solutions, and leave all the hot air for the sauna.

Unfortunately that is not what occurs in civil litigation, even though the pandemic would appear to call for such practical common sense more than ever. . . . [more]

Every week we present the summary of a decision handed down by a Québec court provided to us by SOQUIJ and considered to be of interest to our readers throughout Canada. SOQUIJ is attached to the Québec Department of Justice and collects, analyzes, enriches, and disseminates legal information in Québec.

PÉNAL (DROIT) : L’article 718.3 (7) b) C.Cr., qui retire au juge chargé de la détermination de la peine son pouvoir discrétionnaire d’imposer des peines concurrentes ou consécutives en imposant des peines consécutives relativement aux infractions sexuelles commises contre des enfants, est invalide et inconstitutionnel.

Intitulé : Vera Camacho c. . . . [more]

Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD), and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law.

Debates in Charity Law. Edited by John Picton & Jennifer Sigafoos. Oxford: Hart, 2020. 318p. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-50992-683-1 (hardcover) $90.00; ISBN 978-1-50992-684-8 (ePub) $90.00; ISBN 978-1-50992-685-5 (PDF) $90.00.

Reviewed by Charles R. Davidson
Davidsons Lawyers
In CLLR 46:1

Debates in Charity Law is an authoritative, wide-ranging look at issues . . . [more]

It may indeed be fundamental to the task of competing in commercial markets that providers, for present purposes in legal information publishing, just like European governments squabbling over their respective Covid responses, must not only create value and unique selling propositions for their goods and services, but also seek to destroy those of others, usually existing and long-established businesses. Some criticise whole industries and communities, to help make their own goods and services look better. Some fictionalise the legal publishing industry, simplistically to turn the spotlight on the possibly overstated merits of their own endeavours. However, I doubt . . . [more]

Allegations of patent infringement are comparatively straight forward when there is one party making and selling the patented product, or performing the patented method in Canada. It gets more complicated when multiple parties are involved in the alleged infringement.

Inducing infringement is well known in Canadian patent law and a defendant can be found liable for inducing someone else to infringe a patent. The three part test for inducing infringement has been summarized, such as in Corlac Inc. v. Weatherford Canada Inc., 2011 FCA 228, as:

1. the act of infringement must have been completed by the direct infringer.