Litigation

Having a dispute with your neighbour? Well, before you call your lawyer, think about this well-known (at least in legal circles) decision by the Court about feuding neighbours taking up valuable and limited judicial resources.   The Case: Morland-Jones v. Taerk, 2014 ONSC 3061 (CanLII) The Dispute: Neighbours. Mutual allegations about family pets, profanity, disturbing the peace […]

What would I advise the (former) Royals about the paparazzi if they were living in our province? Ontario allows a person to sue another for damages for invasion of privacy. This has not always been the case – it is a fairly new development in Ontario. Many assume a right to privacy, but only recently

Publishing online very personal or intimate information or images of another may be a very costly mistake. The Ontario Court is increasingly awarding significant damages against those who do so. For example, in a case called Jane Doe 464533 (the Plaintiff’s name cannot be disclosed), the Court ordered damages and costs totaling $141,000, plus an

Yet another friendly reminder from your local lawyer to be mindful that every text, e-mail and social media post you transmit, or post may end up as evidence against you in Court. A recent B.C. case affirms the Court’s increasing willingness to award damages for online attacks, recognizing them as having the same impact as

In Ontario, many of your rights as a consumer are proscribed primarily by Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act (the “CPA”). Firstly, when you sign a contract in Ontario: •    for a product or service you buy from a door-to-door salesperson (also called a direct agreement); •    to pay in advance to join a fitness club or

What if you learn that someone has reported a debt against you that is wrong or is being disputed by you? Since your credit rating and your ability to secure credit may be significantly compromised, you wish to challenge the reporting but what is the recourse. Collection agencies in Ontario are governed by the Collections

Increasingly businesses (and employers) and public organizations deploy and use ever-improving surveillance technology, including workplace audio and video recording.  Ontario law has remained vigilant and watchful, attempting to balance legitimately-held privacy expectations for everyone against unreasonably invasive privacy intrusion, particularly to foster security, safety and legitimate business or public interests.   In an important, recent

Increasingly maligned victims on social media resort to the Court for redress. The Court is becoming more intolerant of defamatory conduct online, to the extent that significant damages may be ordered against the traducing party. No longer does the Internet shield against vilifying another online.     There have been several notable cases. For example, fairly