Good afternoon.

Following are our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of March 14, 2022.

Topics covered this week included property of a bankrupt (beneficial interest in trust property), testamentary capacity and extensions of time to perfect appeals.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable weekend.

Table of Contents

Civil Decisions

Good evening.

Following are our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of March 7, 2022.

In Ernst & Young Inc. v. Aquino, the court upheld the application judge’s decision to grant the orders the Bondfield monitor and trustee in bankruptcy requiring payments made at undervalue to be repaid.  In coming to its decision, the Court applied the corporate attribution doctrine.

In a recent case involving key stakeholders in the ‘Century Mine’ (Mine) – located in the lower Gulf of Carpentaria region in Northwest Queensland – the Supreme Court of Queensland considered an application brought by a liquidator and creditor for the termination of a winding up of pursuant to section 482(1) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Application).

Background

The Mine was operated by Century Mining Ltd (formerly Century Zinc Ltd) (Century). It was one of the largest zinc mines in the world.

Mr Badcock (the Respondent) was an undischarged bankrupt, and Mr Ambrose (the Applicant) was the trustee of his bankruptcy. The key issue for determination was the definition of property under the Bankruptcy Act, and whether the moving of monies into an interesting-bearing account by the Respondent was sufficient to change the character of income to after-acquired property which would vest in the Trustee’s Estate.

Litigation funding can play an important role in allowing liquidators to recover debts on behalf of liquidated companies, where there may be a real prospect of success in recovery proceedings but where obstacles such as funding or security for costs may present themselves.

Good afternoon.

Following are this week’s summaries of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of December 27, 2021. There were only two substantive civil decisions released this week.

InAustralian Securities and Investments Commission v Marco (no 9) [2021] FCA 1306 the Administrators brought an interlocutory application seeking remuneration orders pursuant to section 60-10(1)(c) of the Insolvency Practice Schedule (IPSC) for the administration of the second defendant. The application was opposed by the Liquidators of the second defendant.

In Anchorage Capital Master Offshore Ltd v Sparkes (No 3); Bank of Communications Co Ltd v Sparkes (No 2),[1] the NSW Supreme Court handed down judgment in two proceedings (which were heard together) arising from the failure of Arrium and its broader corporate group.

Good evening.

Following are this week’s summaries of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of September 13, 2021.

Good afternoon.

Please find below our summaries of the civil decisions of the Ontario Court of Appeal for the week of August 23, 2021.

There were three substantive civil decisions this week. Vu v. Canada (Attorney General) deals with discoverability and limitation periods related to the torts of false arrest and imprisonment. In dismissing the appeal, the Court confirmed the date of an arrest is merely a presumptive date for the commencement of the limitation period – a date that can be rebutted.