2311 Results

Supreme Court of Canada Discusses the Reasonable Expectation of Privacy in Workplace Computer

The Supreme Court of Canada has issued a significant decision regarding workplace privacy. In R. v. Cole, it unanimously held that employees have a diminished, but reasonable, expectation of privacy in personal information stored on an employer-issued computer. Employers may continue to access information stored on their work systems for their legitimate purposes, though they…

Second Federal Omnibus Budget Bill Tabled

On October 18, 2012, the federal government tabled Bill C-45, Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, the second omnibus budget bill giving effect to the initiatives found in its Budget 2012, Economic Action Plan 2012 – A Plan for Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity. If passed, Bill C-45 will, among other things: amend the rules applicable…

Supreme Court of Canada Renders Decision on Reasonable Expectation of Privacy in Workplace Computer

The Supreme Court of Canada rendered R. v. Cole in which it unanimously held that employees have a diminished but reasonable expectation of privacy in the use of their workplace computers. This case involved a warrantless police search of the accused’s workplace computer, which contained materials alleged to be child pornography. That evidence was excluded…

Federal Court of Appeal Interpretation Stands: Remuneration of Office-Holders Pensionable for CPP Purposes

On October 4, 2012, the Supreme Court of Canada denied leave to appeal from the Federal Court of Appeal’s decision in Minister of National Revenue and Real Estate Council of Alberta (“RECA”), and in doing so has helped to clarify how certain amounts paid to board members, council members and office-holders are to be treated…

Premier McGuinty Announces His Resignation and Prorogues the Legislature

In an unexpected development, Premier McGuinty announced yesterday that he will be resigning as Premier of Ontario and as leader of the Ontario Liberal party. Premier McGuinty also announced that he asked the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario to prorogue the Legislature, which now appears to have occurred. While both announcements will come as a surprise…

Tax Measures from Federal Budget 2012 to be Implemented

On October 15, 2012, the federal government tabled a Notice of Ways and Means Motion to implement certain tax measures contained in the government’s March 2012 budget, the Economic Action Plan, 2012 – A Plan for Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity. Among other things, the Notice of Ways and Means Motion includes implementation of the…

Helping Families in Need Act Passes Second Reading, Referred to Committee

On October 2, 2012, Bill C-44, Helping Families in Need Act, passed Second Reading and was referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. As previously reported, among other things Bill C-44, if passed, will make certain amendments to the Employment Insurance Act and…

International Employment Lawyer Newsletter Publishes an Article by Michael Hines

An article by Hicks Morley’s Michael Hines was published in the September edition of International Employment Lawyer Newsletter. In the article entitled, “Canada – Freedom of Association under the Charter: Snake or Tree?“, Michael discusses recent contradictory judicial decisions concerning the “right to strike” asserted under section 2(d) of the Charter as interpreted by the…

Information Bulletins on Anti-spam Legislation Published

Two information bulletins have been published by the Canadian Radio-Television Communications Commission (CRTC) to help businesses better understand Bill C-28, the federal anti-spam legislation. The bulletins include, among other things, examples of acceptable practices. As previously reported, Bill C-28 enacts comprehensive anti-spam legislation and specifically amends the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”)…