Publications

August 29, 2016

Advance Medical Directives (Part 1 of 2)

Consent to End-of-Life Care Article 11 of the Civil Code of Québec1 states that no one can be made to undergo care without his consent. The Act respecting end-of-life care2 (“the Act”), passed by the National Assembly of Québec, came into force on December 15, 2015. Since that date, a person can (…)

August 17, 2016

Licence security requirements to be hiked shortly

Effective September 18, 2016, anyone wishing to obtain a general contractor licence will be required to first provide security of at least $40,000. The amount will be $20,000 for specialized contractors. Effective January 21, 2017, the Regulation to amend the Regulation respecting the professional (…)

August 10, 2016

Dismissal without cause under federal law: The Supreme Court of Canada closes the door

The case of Wilson v. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited1 came to a close on July 14, 2016, when the Supreme Court of Canada (the “Supreme Court”) reversed a controversial Federal Court of Appeal decision in which it had been held that a dismissal without cause was not necessarily an “unjust dismissal” (…)

August 4, 2016

The Canadelle case and the importance of contesting certain CNESST decisions promptly

On June 17, 2016, the Superior Court1 affirmed the 2014 decision of the Commission des lésions professionnelles2 (“CLP”) in Canadelle, s.e.c. and Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail.3 This decision put an end to the jurisprudential controversy regarding the application of sections 31 (…)

July 29, 2016

“Peer-to-peer” insurance: a grassroots revolution?

After the hospitality sector, transportation of passengers and corporate financing, insurance could be the next sector to see its business model influenced by the sharing economy. In the past few years, numerous start-up companies have launched businesses in “peer-to-peer” (“P2P”) insurance on (…)

July 22, 2016

The lack of conclusive scientific evidence is not necessarily a fatal bar to proving causation in relation to an occupational disease, according to the Supreme Court of Canada

Last June 24th, the Supreme Court of Canada (the “Supreme Court”) rendered judgment in the case of British Columbia (Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal) v. Fraser Health Authority1 (“Fraser”). Briefly, this case involved seven laboratory technicians from the same hospital who had breast cancer. (…)

July 11, 2016

Bill 108 : highlights of the new rules on public contracting and the powers of the Autorité des marchés publics

Last June 8, Carlos J. Leitão, the Minister responsible for Government Administration and Ongoing Program Review and Chair of the Conseil du trésor, tabled Bill 108, An Act to facilitate oversight of public bodies’ contracts and to establish the Autorité des marchés publics. This Bill creates the (…)

July 7, 2016

For rent… but mind the risks! Home Insurance in the age of the sharing economy

Many people could hardly imagine planning their vacations without considering online vacation rental community platforms. And those who have property available for use might find it just as difficult to resist the temptation to increase their revenues by advertising their room, apartment, house or (…)

June 29, 2016

Options available to Canadian managers under the European AIF marketing rules

Martine Samuelian and Virginia Barat, JEANTET This article is supplementing the May 2016 issue of the Lavery Capital newsletter, number 9, which discusses the potential extension of the European passport regime (the “Passport”) – established under EU Directive no. 2011/61/EU (the “Directive”) – to (…)

June 28, 2016

Authorization of treatment and placement: The Québec Court of Appeal clarifies the meaning of article 393 C.C.P.

On May 10, 2016, the Québec Court of Appeal1 confirmed a Superior Court decision allowing an application for authorization of treatment and placement to a patient. The application had been brought by the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, commonly known as the Douglas, or the Douglas (…)

June 27, 2016

Sale of Ophthalmic Lenses Online: the Québec Court of Appeal Decides

In a unanimous decision rendered on May 16, 2016,1 the Québec Court of Appeal confirmed that the delivery of ophthalmic lenses purchased online from suppliers who are not members of the Ordre des optométristes (Order of Optometrists) (“Order”), or the Ordre des opticiens d’ordonnances (Order of (…)

June 16, 2016

Honesty of financial advisors and discretion of the Autorité des marchés financiers: the Québec Court of Appeal rules

In a decision issued last May 20,1 the Québec Court of Appeal affirmed a judgment2 of the Superior Court of Québec rendered on October 28, 2013, which dismissed the action in damages for more than $7 million brought by a former representative in insurance of persons and in group savings plan (…)

May 30, 2016

Contracts by public entities: stay tuned on June 1, 2016

The regulation governing contracts of public bodies leaps into the digital age. The amendments, passed on April 13, 2016, and coming into force June 1, 2016, aim to clarify the rules pertaining to the results evaluation.1 Five key changes Tenders in electronic form are mandatory if so (…)