Articles 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the regulation of health professionals in Ontario. On October 7, 2020 the OBA’s Health Law Section hosted a timely webinar where we heard from both the regulators and the defence counsels’ perspectives. This article discusses some of the highlights and take-away points of the program.

The resulting effect of Bill 138, the Plan to Build Ontario Together Act, on the province’s healthcare regime has already been interpreted by the Ontario Superior Court in a recent decision, shedding light on the practical implications of some of these amendments and how they may impact ongoing disputes related to a physician’s billings. The case of 1582235 Ontario Limited v Ontario, 2020 ONSC 1279, addresses issues on the current OHIP billing process.

“Gikinoo-amaadiwin” in Anishnaabemowin means “teaching” or “education.” In traditional Anishinaabeg culture, children were given teachings in the form of stories, and these stories were meant to elicit understanding about values and give the listener a new piece of wisdom about the world around them. Education was held in high regard, and for this reason it was entrusted to the Elders, the most highly regarded members of First Nations’ society.

Just as teachers and school boards are grappling with the new realities of COVID-19 in classrooms, parents have taken the issue of online versus in-person learning to courts. A series of recent court decisions has outlined a list of factors utilized in determining whether a child is to be enrolled in an in-person or online platform for the current academic year.

Greetings, fellow OBA Education Law Section members! My name is Jean-Frédéric – you can call me J-F – and I’m the chair of the section executive for the 2020-2021 membership year. This is my fourth year on this section’s executive, and I am very glad to continue working alongside a group of dedicated and engaged education law practitioners. Si cette année est votre première en tant que membre – bienvenue! Si vous êtes membre depuis longtemps, merci d’être resté parmi nous!

The IoT Guidance by the OPC provides overdue clarity on how the Personal Information and Protection of Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”) applies to Internet of Things (“IoT”) devices, and guidance to manufacturers of those devices on specific security and other measures they should consider.

Following are this week’s summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario. The decisions were all fairly short. Topics covered included prescriptive easements, breach of contract, family law (support), the approval of a settlement and contingency fee agreement in a personal injury matter and security for costs.

The significant lengthening of civil proceedings has naturally led to an extraordinary increase in legal costs associated with these cases. Our law respecting Offers to Settle is designed to make the loser pay the winner’s legal fees. This creates significant risk in almost every personal injury case. Because of the increased expense of trials, settlement at private mediation must almost always be considered.

Welcome from the Chair and Vice-Chair of the OBA's ADR Section.