Good afternoon.
Following are our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of March 24, 2025.
In Sutherland Estate v Murphy, the Court confirmed that section 11(c) of the Charter (the right not to be compelled to testify against oneself) applies in the context of civil contempt. The Court allowed the appeal from a finding of contempt, determining that the motion judge infringed the appellant's rights under s.11(c) by compelling him to testify in his own contempt proceeding and erred in relying on that testimony to find the appellant guilty of a contempt that was neither admitted nor proven on the requisite standard.
In Ross v. Luypaert, a sibling dispute over their parents' property, the Court dismissed an appeal from an order for the sale of a property and for possession of another
In Kassabian v Marcarian, the Court dismissed the appeal from the trial judge's determination following a two day trial of the parties' date of separation as being May 16, 2021, rather than December 10, 2014.
Wishing everyone an enjoyable weekend.
Civil Decisions
Sutherland Estate v. Murphy, 2025 ONCA 227
Keywords: Charter Breach, Injunctive Relief, Civil Contempt, Quasi-Criminal Proceedings, Anton Piller Order, Cryptocurrency, Fraud, Self-Incrimination, Rule 60.11(4), Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, s.11(c), Rules of Civil Procedure, Family Law Rules, O. Reg. 114/99, r. 31(4), United Nurses of Alberta v. Alberta (Attorney General), [1992] 1 S.C.R. 901, Gordon v. Starr (2007), 42 R.F.L. (6th) 366 (Ont. S.C.), Kassay v. Kassay (2000), 11 R.F.L. (5th) 308 (Ont. S.C.), Pro Swing v. Elta Golf Inc., 2006 SCC 52, R. v. P. (M.B.), [1994] 1 S.C.R. 555, Vidéotron Ltée v. Industries Microlec Produits Électroniques Inc., [1992] 2 S.C.R. 1065, R. v. Wigglesworth, [1987] 2 S.C.R. 541, John Howard Society of Saskatchewan v. Saskatchewan (Attorney General), 2025 SCC 6, Carey v. Laiken, 2015 SCC 17, Bassett v. Magee, 2015 BCCA 422, Fischer v. Milo (2007), 44 R.F.L. (6th) 134, Centre commercial Les Rivières ltée v. Jean Bleu inc., 2012 QCCA 1663, Oliveira v. Oliveira, 2022 ONCA 218, Martineau v. M.N.R., SCC 81, R. v. Fitzpatrick, [1995] 4 S.C.R. 154, R. v. D'Amour (2002), 166 C.C.C. (3d) 477 (Ont. C.A.), Sakab Saudi Holding Company v. Saad Khalid S Al Jabri, 2023 ONSC 2488, McClure v. Backstein (1987), 17 C.P.C. (2d) 242 (Ont. H.C.), R. v. Jarvis, 2002 SCC 73, R. v. Pearson, [1992] 3 S.C.R. 665, R. v. Lyons, [1987] 2 S.C.R. 309, R. v. MacDougall, [1998] 3 S.C.R. 45, R. v. J.F., 2022 SCC 17, R. v. Gardiner, [1982] 2 S.C.R. 368, Bell ExpressVu Limited Partnership v. Corkery, 2009 ONCA 85, R. v. Handy, 2002 SCC 56, R. v. W. (D.), [1991] 1 S.C.R. 742, R. v. McManus, 2017 ONCA 188, White Burgess Langille Inman v. Abbott and Haliburton Co., 2015 SCC 23, Oliveira v. Oliveira, 2023 ONCA 520
Ross v. Luypaert, 2025 ONCA 236
Keywords: Wills and Estates, Powers of Attorney, Real Property, Partition and Sale, Civil Procedure, Orders, Enforcement, Writs of Possession, Adjournments, Appeals, Jurisdiction, Courts of Justice Act, s. 6(2), Partition Act, R.S.O 1990, c. P.4, ss. 3 & 7, Rules of Civil Procedure, r. 60.10, Webster v. Groszman, 2021 ONCA 55, 2650971 Ontario Inc. v. Shameti, 2022 ONCA 62, Billimoria v. Mistry, 2022 ONCA 276, Graham v. Vandersloot, 2012 ONCA 60, The Law Society of Upper Canada v. Igbinosun, 2009 ONCA 484, Conway (Re), 2016 ONCA 918, Grand River Conservation Authority v. Ramdas, 2021 ONCA 815, Shemish v. Benarzi (2006), 47 R.P.R. (4th) 92 (Ont. S.C.)
Kassabian v. Marcarian, 2025 ONCA 239
Keywords: Family Law, Date of Separation, Family Law Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.3, ss. 4(1), 7(3), 33(9), Divorce Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. 3, ss. 8(1), 8(2), 8(3), 15.2(4), Family Law Rules, O. Reg. 114/99, r. 2, Molodowich v. Penttinen (1980), 17 R.F.L. (2d) 376 (Ont. Dist. Ct.), Al-Sajee v. Tawfic, 2019 ONSC 3857, Taylor v. Taylor (1999), 5 R.F.L. (5th) 162 (Ont. S.C.), Strobele v. Strobele (2005), 34 R.F.L. (6th) 111, Warren v. Warren, 2019 ONSC 1751, Al-Fatlawi v. Al-Bajawi, 2019 ONSC 7210, Czepa v. Czepa (1988), 16 R.F.L. (3d) 191 (Ont. H.C.J.), Newton v. Newton (1995), 11 R.F.L. (4th) 251 (Ont. U.F.C.), Oswell v. Oswell (1990), 74 O.R. (2d) 15 (H.C.J.), M. v. H., [1999] 2 S.C.R. 3, Rosseter v. Rosseter, 2013 ONSC 7779, Neufeld v. Neufeld, 2019 ONSC 1277, Joanis v. Bourque, 2016 ONSC 6505, Torosantucci v. Torosantucci (1991) 32 R.F.L. (3d) 202, (Ont. U.F.C.), Greaves v. Greaves (2004), 4 R.F.L. (6th) 1, Tsarynny v. Topchiy, 2025 ONCA 175, O'Brien v. O'Brien, 2013 ONSC 5750, Letford v. Letford (2000), 12 R.F.L. (5th) 169, Chan v. Chan, 2013 ONSC 7465, Button v. Button (2000), 8 R.F.L. (5th) 20, Cheng v. Sze, 2020 ONSC 937, 38 R.F.L. (8th) 165, Mathers v. Crowley, 2019 ONSC 5088, Klimm v. Klimm, 2010 ONSC 1479, Cheng v. Sze, 2021 ONCA 346, Simioni v. Simioni (2009), 74 R.F.L. (6th) 202
Short Civil Decisions
Pateman v. Koolatron Corporation, 2025 ONCA 224
Keywords: Employment Law, Wrongful Dismissal, Damages, Mitigation, Lake v. La Presse, 2022 ONCA 742
Dalpha Technologies Inc. v. Farrage, 2025 ONCA 235
Keywords: Contracts, Real Property, Mortgages, Remedies, Damages, Power of Sale, Civil Procedure, Default Judgment, Evidence, Expert Evidence, SFC Litigation Trust v. Chan, 2019 ONCA 525
Benchwood Builders, Inc. v. Prescott, 2025 ONCA 238
Keywords: Torts, Defamation, Civil Procedure, Anti-SLAPP, Costs, Courts of Justice Act, RSO 1990, c C.43, ss. 137.1, 137.1(8)
Van Hove v. Druyff, 2025 ONCA 240
Keywords: Contracts, Real Property, Agreements of Purchase and Sale of Land, Civil Procedure, Summary Judgment, Chan v. Mangal, 2022 ONSC 2068
CIVIL DECISIONS
Sutherland Estate v. Murphy, 2025 ONCA 227
[Sossin, Madsen and Pomerance JJ.A.]
Counsel:
A. Wray and J. Echavarria, for the appellant
N. Groot, E. Stoik and C. Leafloor, for the respondents
Keywords: Charter Breach, Injunctive Relief, Civil Contempt, Quasi-Criminal Proceedings, Anton Piller Order, Cryptocurrency, Fraud, Self-Incrimination, Rule 60.11(4), Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, s.11(c), Rules of Civil Procedure, Family Law Rules, O. Reg. 114/99, r. 31(4), United Nurses of Alberta v. Alberta (Attorney General), [1992] 1 S.C.R. 901, Gordon v. Starr (2007), 42 R.F.L. (6th) 366 (Ont. S.C.), Kassay v. Kassay (2000), 11 R.F.L. (5th) 308 (Ont. S.C.), Pro Swing v. Elta Golf Inc., 2006 SCC 52, R. v. P. (M.B.), [1994] 1 S.C.R. 555, Vidéotron Ltée v. Industries Microlec Produits Électroniques Inc., [1992] 2 S.C.R. 1065, R. v. Wigglesworth, [1987] 2 S.C.R. 541, John Howard Society of Saskatchewan v. Saskatchewan (Attorney General), 2025 SCC 6, Carey v. Laiken, 2015 SCC 17, Bassett v. Magee, 2015 BCCA 422, Fischer v. Milo (2007), 44 R.F.L. (6th) 134, Centre commercial Les Rivières ltée v. Jean Bleu inc., 2012 QCCA 1663, Oliveira v. Oliveira, 2022 ONCA 218, Martineau v. M.N.R., SCC 81, R. v. Fitzpatrick, [1995] 4 S.C.R. 154, R. v. D'Amour (2002), 166 C.C.C. (3d) 477 (Ont. C.A.), Sakab Saudi Holding Company v. Saad Khalid S Al Jabri, 2023 ONSC 2488, McClure v. Backstein (1987), 17 C.P.C. (2d) 242 (Ont. H.C.), R. v. Jarvis, 2002 SCC 73, R. v. Pearson, [1992] 3 S.C.R. 665, R. v. Lyons, [1987] 2 S.C.R. 309, R. v. MacDougall, [1998] 3 S.C.R. 45, R. v. J.F., 2022 SCC 17, R. v. Gardiner, [1982] 2 S.C.R. 368, Bell ExpressVu Limited Partnership v. Corkery, 2009 ONCA 85, R. v. Handy, 2002 SCC 56, R. v. W. (D.), [1991] 1 S.C.R. 742, R. v. McManus, 2017 ONCA 188, White Burgess Langille Inman v. Abbott and Haliburton Co., 2015 SCC 23, Oliveira v. Oliveira, 2023 ONCA 520
facts:
The central issue on appeal arose from the execution of an Anton Piller Order. The action is for...
