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Gannon Beaulne

Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Partner

Thomas Feore

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Associate

This article explores how courts continue to apply and refine the &ldquo;some basis in fact&rdquo; test for certifying common issues in class actions. Recent decisions illustrate that while expert evidence is not always required, plaintiffs must provide sufficient admissible evidence to support both the existence of common issues and their class-wide resolution. The rulings reinforce certification as a meaningful screening tool and provide guidance on evidentiary expectations going forward.

Some Basis in Fact for the Common Issues

Courts Continue to Apply and Refine the Test

Maisah Syed

The Court of Appeal for Ontario has certified a class action against the manufacturer of a stolen handgun used to carry out the 2018 mass shooting on Danforth Avenue in Toronto, reversing in part the motion judge’s decision below.

Court of Appeal Certifies Negligence Claim Against Gun Manufacturer for Mass Shooting

Emrys Davis

 Partner and Class Actions National Practice Group Leader

Michael A. Eizenga L.S.M.

Leading Canadian Class Action Litigator

Partner 

In our 2025 edition of Looking Forward, we review notable class action developments from the past year and consider what recent trends in the law might tell us about what to expect in the years ahead.

Class Actions Looking Forward 2025

Class Actions: Looking Forward 2025

Edward W. Hulshof

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver

The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has endorsed the constitutionality of British Columbia (BC) legislation empowering the province to seek recovery of opioid epidemic healthcare costs in a proposed class action brought on behalf of multiple Canadian governments.
In Sanis Health Inc v British Columbia, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/2024/2024scc40/2024scc40.html" target="_blank">2024 SCC 40</a>, a majority of the SCC held that constitutional territorial limits on provincial legislative competence did not prevent BC from creating a direct statutory cause of action that it can pursue in a proposed class action on behalf of the federal and other provincial governments, subject to the right to opt out of the proceeding.

Supreme Court Approves Constitutionality of Multi Crown Class Action

Supreme Court Approves Constitutionality of Multi-Crown Class Action

Alison G. FitzGerald

International Arbitration Lawyer

George W. H. Reid

International Trade, Investment and Public Procurement Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Sabrina A. Bandali

International Trade, Regulatory and Investment Lawyer

Canada has introduced a new round of retaliatory tariffs on $27.6 billion worth of US goods in response to the Trump administration's 50% tariffs on Canadian exports. The measures, effective September 8, 2026, include surtaxes ranging from 15% to 50% on a wide range of products, alongside remission programs and duty relief mechanisms for affected businesses.

Canadas Response to Trump Tariffs and Relief Measures

Canada's Response to Trump: Tariffs and Relief Measures

Simon Grant

Financial Services & Regulatory Lawyer

Matthew Flynn

Technology Transaction Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Lucas Stevens-Hall

Corporate Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

The Bank of Canada has published its first enforcement decisions under the Retail Payment Activities Act (RPAA), all involving unregistered payment service providers and $0 administrative monetary penalties. The decisions provide early insight into the Bank&rsquo;s enforcement approach and highlight the importance of registration, proactive remediation and ongoing RPAA compliance.

Bank Of Canada Publishes First RPAApaa Enforcement Decisions Against Payment Service Providers

Bank Of Canada Publishes First RPAA Enforcement Decisions Against Payment Service Providers

David Cassin

Employment Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Carl Cunningham

Management-side Employment Lawyer

Talia K. Bregman

Employment Services, National Practice Group Leader

After a series of conflicting decisions, the Court of Appeal for Ontario has clarified the enforceability of termination clauses in Ontario employment agreements through its recent decision in the dual appeals in Baker v Van Dolder&rsquo;s Home Team Inc. and Li v Wayfair Canada ULC.

At Any Time and for Any Reason is Here to Stay

Ontario Court of Appeal Restores Common Sense to Termination Clauses in Ontario Employment Agreements

"At Any Time" and "For Any Reason" is Here to Stay

Michelle F. Yung

Real Estate Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver

Andrew L. Jeanrie

Real Estate & Municipal Law Lawyer | Development & Approvals

Nathalie Hunter Heighington

Associate at Bennett Jones Vancouver

Part II of this three-part series examines Build Canada Homes&rsquo; Investment Policy Framework, including its priorities, eligible housing projects and partnership models. It explores how project readiness, affordability, scale, modular construction and cross-sector collaboration may position commercial real estate proponents to participate in BCH initiatives.

Part II How Build Canada Homes

Part II How Build Canada Homes Works: Investment Framework, Eligibility and Partnerships

Kristopher R. Hanc

M&A and Capital Markets Lawyer

Christopher J. Doucet

Corporate & Mining Lawyer | M&A & Corporate Finance

Aidyn Bhatia

Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) has launched a broad consultation on modernizing the regulation of public companies, examining venture issuer status, financial reporting, resale restrictions, material change reporting and alignment with U.S. developments. The Consultation Paper includes a proposed qualified institutional purchaser exemption that could provide eligible reporting issuers with greater flexibility to raise capital without traditional resale hold periods. Stakeholders have until November 13, 2026, to submit comments.

CSA Publishes Sweeping Consultation on Modernizing the Regulation of Public Companies

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Gannon Beaulne on AM 740 Zoomer Radio Toronto Discussing Mandatory Minimum Sentencing

From the Same Authors