In Bains and 10031670 Manitoba Ltd. v. Tworek et al, 2024 MBKB 111, the Court dismissed a motion to stay two court proceedings in favour of arbitration. In doing so, the Court ran afoul of some settled principles in Canadian (and international) arbitration law. These include interpreting the scope of the arbitration agreements, the test for a stay of proceedings in favour of arbitration, the separability presumption and concerns over inefficiency and multiplicity of proceedings where the dispute concerns both signatories and non-signatories to the arbitration agreement.
Continue reading “Manitoba – Court denies stay in favour of arbitration for several (suspect) reasons – #868”Ontario – Award unreasonable where tribunal failed to follow binding law on frustration – #832
In Taseko Mines Limited v. Franco-Nevada Corporation, 2023 ONSC 2055, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) granted an appeal from an arbitral award due to, among other things, the arbitrator’s failure to apply binding precedent on frustration of contract. Although the Court applied a deferential reasonableness standard, it concluded the arbitrator’s departure from binding jurisprudence rendered the award unreasonable.
Continue reading “Ontario – Award unreasonable where tribunal failed to follow binding law on frustration – #832”Manitoba – Court of Appeal quashes appeal of decision declaring clause invalid – #816
In Pokornik v. SkipTheDishes Restaurant Services Inc., 2024 MBCA 3, the Court dealt with a perennial issue—stays of arbitration in the class proceeding context. The decision has a few interesting takeaways, both arbitration-related and not, including one about the competence-competence principle. It also raises the thorny issue of when a stay motion decision may be appealed under section 7(6) of Manitoba’s domestic arbitration statute.
Continue reading “Manitoba – Court of Appeal quashes appeal of decision declaring clause invalid – #816”B.C. – “Lacuna” identified in B.C.’s domestic arbitration scheme? – #811
In Bollhorn v. Lakehouse Custom Homes Ltd., 2023 BCCA 444, One justice of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia referred an application for leave to appeal from the decision of an arbitrator to a full panel of that Court. The Court identified what it termed “a gap [in the legislative scheme] that may confound the general understanding of ‘where there is a right, there is a remedy’”. That gap arises from the apparent application of the Vancouver International Arbitration Centre [“VanIAC”] expedited arbitration rules to claims under $250,000, which preclude appeals unless the parties agree otherwise.
Continue reading “B.C. – “Lacuna” identified in B.C.’s domestic arbitration scheme? – #811”Ontario – No unfairness despite Browne v Dunn violation and arbitrator reasonable apprehension of bias – #796
In Vento Motorcycles, Inc. v. United Mexican States, 2023 ONSC 5964, the Court dismissed an application to set aside an investor-state arbitration award on the grounds that the arbitral tribunal denied procedural fairness, and that one of the tribunal members was biased. Although the Court found no unfairness, it acknowledged a reasonable apprehension of bias in respect of the impugned arbitrator. The Court nonetheless exercised its discretion under art. 34 of the Model Law to dismiss the set–aside application.
Continue reading “Ontario – No unfairness despite Browne v Dunn violation and arbitrator reasonable apprehension of bias – #796”Ontario – Arbitral tribunal lacks power to order third-party discovery – #779
In Link 427 General Partnership v. His Majesty the King, 2023 ONSC 2433, the Court refused to enforce an arbitrator’s interim procedural order purporting to compel third-party discovery. This decision highlights the limits of an arbitral tribunal’s procedural authority over strangers to the arbitration agreement, the complexities of which I highlight in my Contributor’s Notes below.
Continue reading “Ontario – Arbitral tribunal lacks power to order third-party discovery – #779”B.C. – No unfairness for procedural irregularity, no jurisdiction to review facts – #763
In Anins v. Anins, 2022 BCCA 441 (leave to appeal refused 2023 CanLII 64855 (SCC)), the Court of Appeal for British Columbia upheld a lower court decision dismissing a petition to set aside a family arbitral award based on errors of law and procedural unfairness. The Court of Appeal agreed with the B.C. Supreme Court that the Arbitrator did not cause any unfairness in failing to make a procedural direction in writing, nor were his reasons insufficient for omitting reference to certain statutory provisions. The Court of Appeal also agreed that the appellant’s grounds for appeal on the merits raised pure questions of fact. These were not appealable under B.C.’s then-applicable domestic arbitration statute.
Continue reading “B.C. – No unfairness for procedural irregularity, no jurisdiction to review facts – #763”Ontario – Arbitration procedurally unfair – arbitrator excluded material evidence despite no objection – #750
In Mattamy (Downsview) Limited v KSV Restructuring Inc. (Urbancorp), 2023 ONSC 3013, Justice Kimmel of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) set aside an arbitral award for violating procedural fairness. She found the Arbitrator acted unfairly in declining to admit relevant evidence on a new issue he himself raised in the arbitration. This decision reminds us that an arbitral tribunal’s procedural discretion, though vast and powerful, is not absolute.
Continue reading “Ontario – Arbitration procedurally unfair – arbitrator excluded material evidence despite no objection – #750”B.C. – No power to stay arbitration under Model Law – #731
In Johnston v Octaform Inc., 2023 BCSC 311, Justice Giaschi refused to stay an arbitration, finding he had no authority to do so under the International Commercial Arbitration Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 233 [ICAA]. In so doing, he distinguished case law in which courts exercised inherent jurisdiction to stay domestic arbitration proceedings in various circumstances.
Continue reading “B.C. – No power to stay arbitration under Model Law – #731”Ontario – Deferential approach on set-aside application for want of procedural fairness – #723
In Aquanta Group Inc. v. Lightbox Enterprises Ltd., 2023 ONSC 971, Justice Akbarali dismissed an application to set aside an arbitral award on procedural fairness grounds under paragraph 46(1) 6 of the Ontario Arbitration Act, 1991 [the “Act”]. This decision showcases the margin of manoeuver arbitrators enjoy on discretionary procedural decisions.
Continue reading “Ontario – Deferential approach on set-aside application for want of procedural fairness – #723”