Publications

May 7, 2018

Ars Ex Machina: Artificial Intelligence, the artist

Similarly to human beings, machines are now capable of creating. They can write poetry, compose symphonies and even paint canvasses. They can also take photographs without any human assistance and perform musical pieces with flexibility and expression. On the technical front, such (…)

April 20, 2018

Autonomous cars in Quebec: the legal uncertainty is clarified at last

With the enactment on April 17th 2018 of Bill 165, An Act to amend the Highway Safety Code and other provisions1, the driving of autonomous vehicles in Quebec is finally regulated, although a number of uncertainties remain. Indeed, the driving of autonomous vehicles of automation level 3, such as (…)

April 16, 2018

Latest developments in the Canadian infrastructure market

The Canadian infrastructure market has had a busy few weeks! The industry's latest news, from new funding policies to major transport and energy projects, is identified in this edition of the Infrastructure Insider. 1. The latest developments in the Canadian infrastructure market New developers (…)

April 12, 2018

Confinement in an establishment: establishments must exercise caution before making an application

In a decision rendered on March 13, 20181, the Court of Appeal reiterated that caution is in order when making an application for confinement. The Court also took the opportunity to review the topic of confinement orders and the supervision and safety requirements that healthcare establishments have (…)

April 6, 2018

Artificial Intelligence and blockchains are vulnerable to cyberattacks

Technologies based on blockchains and AI imply a considerable change for our society. Being that the security of data exchanged is vital, companies must begin adopting a long-term approach right now. Many businesses develop services based on blockchains, in particular in the financial (…)

April 5, 2018

Class actions to watch for in the air transport sector

Many Canadians travel by airline. Aside from the pleasure of travel, certain inconveniences may sometimes occur, for both air carriers and passengers alike. A class action suit is often the preferred procedural vehicle for customers to assert their rights. Recent class actions authorized by the (…)

March 28, 2018

Itemized invoices: a new obligation for pharmacists

Since September 15, 2017, pharmacists have been obliged to provide itemized invoices not just to their clients but also to third parties such as insurers who are involved in the process of paying the cost of drugs. In response to this new obligation, the Association québécoise des pharmaciens (…)

March 21, 2018

Key aspects of the changes made to the Act respecting labour standards

On March 20, 2018, Minister Dominique Vien introduced the much-awaited bill no. 176 to the National Assembly of Quebec, entitled the Loi modifiant la Loi sur les normes du travail et d’autres dispositions législatives afin principalement de faciliter la conciliation « famille-travail » [An Act to (…)

March 20, 2018

Civil liability and personal injury: A harsh decision for a winter sports centre

The Court of Québec released an interesting judgment in December in a case involving civil liability and personal injury.1 On February 23, 2013, Plaintiff, Ms. Bourgault, went to Village Vacances Valcartier (“VVV”) to take part in a snow rafting activity. During a descent, she was twice thrown (…)

March 13, 2018

The Court of Appeal sets the record straight on applications for assignment of costs

On January 24, the Quebec Court of Appeal1 released a very important decision on the application of section 326 of the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases2  (“A.I.A.O.D.”), thereby setting the record straight on the true effect of this provision. An employer will no longer (…)

March 13, 2018

Builders’ Risk Insurance: Interpreting the Usual Faulty Workmanship and “LEG” Exclusions in connection with Ledcor and Acciona

Ledcor The issue in Ledcor1 was whether the builder’s risk policy taken out by the contractor that was contractually responsible for cleaning the windows of a building, covered damage to the windows caused by its poor cleaning work. The financial impact was significant since the cost of re-doing (…)

March 2, 2018

Clothes make the man

When an individual chooses to enter into an agreement via a management company, he  has to accept all of the consequences of that decision, the good and the bad. This principle applies in particular to working relationships. In the Kucer case,1 the Superior Court recently confirmed that, (…)

February 28, 2018

Is workplace discrimination everyone’s business?

Ariane Villemaire and Véronique Morin   The Supreme Court held that the British Columbia Human Rights Code protects employees against all forms of discrimination in the workplace, even if the perpetrator of such discrimination is not their employer. On December 15, 2017, the Supreme Court (…)