The recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision in Murphy v Sally Creek Environs Corporation, 2010 ONCA 312 (“Sally Creek”) is a cautionary tale for Trustees in bankruptcy (“Trustees”) and the counsel who represent them.1 In that case, the Trustee’s fees and those of its legal counsel were drastically reduced on a taxation, a cost award was made against the Trustee personally and the Trustee’s conduct was impugned in a detailed decision of the Bankruptcy Registrar and the Court of Appeal.

One more province has joined the ranks of extending creditor protection to registered savings plans. Alberta’s Civil Enforcement Amendment Act came into force on October 1, 2009 (the “Act”). It applies to registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs), registered retirement income funds (RRIFs), deferred profit sharing plans (DPSPs) and registered disability savings plans (RDSPs).

Fair Treatment

A temporary Scheme was introduced in March 2009

The purpose of the temporary Scheme is to ensure that former employees of insolvent businesses receive a reasonable amount of compensation promptly, where they are owed money by their former employers.  

In a White Paper published on 03 December 2009 the States proposed to introduce a permanent Scheme. The deadline for respondents to submit their views was Friday 05 February 2010

In the matter of a Representation by Computer Patent Annuities Holdings Limited and in the matter of Part 18A of the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 [2010]JRC021

Introduction

This case, heard by the Royal Court in Jersey, involved the approval of a scheme of arrangement pursuant to Article 125 of the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 (the "Companies Law"), together with the confirmation of a reduction of share capital.

Background

In the matter of Centurion Management Services Limited and Article 155 of the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 [2009]JRC227

Introduction

This judgment of the Royal Court in Jersey illustrates circumstances in which the court has been prepared to exercise its jurisdiction to order that a company be wound up on the grounds that it is just and equitable so to do.

In dealing with collateral provided by a third party to support the obligations of the prime debtor, lenders and their counsel need to remember the impact of the federal Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.

Ontario’s Personal Property Security Act (PPSA) was amended to broaden the definition of the word “debtor.” However, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act’s (BIA) definition of a “secured creditor” is still restricted to a person holding a charge or a lien “as security for debt due or accruing to the person (lender) holding the debt.”

Winding up a Jersey trust company on just and equitable grounds

Significant insolvency law amendments were declared in force as of September 18, 2009 (the “Amendments”). The Amendments were contained in Bill C-55 which received Royal Assent on November 25, 2005 and in Bill C-12 which received Royal assent on December 14, 2007, but the Amendments were not proclaimed into force until September 18, 2009.

The States of Jersey published a White Paper on a proposed statutory insolvency payments scheme (the "Scheme") on 3 December 2009, with a closing date for consultation responses of Friday 5 February 2010.

The White Paper states:

The Banking Business (Depositors Compensation) (Jersey) Regulations 2009 came into force on 6 November 2009, establishing a compensation scheme providing individual depositors with protection of up to £50,000 per person, per Jersey banking group, in the event of the bankruptcy of a Jersey bank.