Publications

October 2, 2024

Proof of incapacity: analysis of CIUSSS de L’Ouest-de-L’île-de-Montréal (ST. Mary’s Hospital Center) c. R.C.

PROOF OF INCAPACITY: ANALYSIS OF CIUSSS DE L’OUEST-DE-L’ÎLE-DE-MONTRÉAL (ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL CENTER) c. R.C.1 Summary The authors comment on this decision rendered on September 20, 2024, in which the Court of Appeal ruled on the capacity to consent to care in the presence of a psychiatric (…)

September 19, 2022

Authorizations for treatment: the Court of Appeal rules on the legal representation of patients and hospitalization and re-hospitalization clauses

In a decision rendered on September 1, 20221, the Court of Appeal of Quebec stated that a judge seized of an application for authorization for treatment must ensure that the patient in question can be heard and assert their rights. The Court also took the opportunity to analyze the indefinite (…)

August 31, 2022

The Supreme Court examines the notion of abuse of process in the case of inordinate delay in administrative and disciplinary proceedings

The Supreme Court recently considered, in the Law Society of Saskatchewan v. Abrametz1 decision, the applicable test to determine whether a delay is inordinate and constitutes an abuse of process that could lead to a stay of administrative proceedings. In this case, a Saskatchewan lawyer requested (…)

June 14, 2022

Confinement in an institution: a judge must intervene where evidence is insufficient

In a judgement rendered on June 3, 2022,1 the Court of Appeal of Quebec reiterated that a judge who has an application for confinement in an institution before them must inform the parties when they consider that the psychiatric reports filed are insufficiently detailed. In these circumstances, the (…)

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 (…)

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 (…)

February 21, 2018

Freedom of association of physicians practising at a specialized medical centre: the Supreme Court of Canada declines to intervene

On February 8, 2019, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the application by the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec for leave to appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal of Quebec1 in a case concerning the freedom of association of physicians practising at a specialized medical (…)

August 1, 2017

Practice in a specialized medical centre: limits to the freedom of association of physicians based on their status as participants or non participants

On June 1 of this year, the Québec Court of Appeal1 confirmed a decision of the Superior Court of Québec which had ruled that physicians who participate in the health insurance regime and physicians who do not cannot work together in a same specialized medical centre. In this case, the plaintiffs (…)

March 21, 2017

Authorization of care and placement: the Québec Court of Appeal rules on alternative therapies, the duration of orders and provisional enforcement notwithstanding appeal

On February 17, 2017, the Québec Court of Appeal1 upheld a decision of the Superior Court of Québec granting an application for authorization of care presented by the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux du Bas-Saint-Laurent. In this case, the patient attempted to assert the following (…)

December 5, 2016

Authorizations of care and placement: the Québec Court of Appeal imposes parameters on requests for adjournment and reaffirms the admissibility of hearsay in expert evidence

On October 28, 2016, the Québec Court of Appeal1 affirmed a decision of the Superior Court of Québec granting an application for the authorization of care presented by the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux des Laurentides (the “CISSS”). Essentially, the patient submitted three grounds (…)

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 (…)