A party affected by a breach of fiduciary duty may elect to claim equitable compensation, or to pursue an account of the profit or benefit derived by the party committing the breach and any party who knowingly assisted the breach. Pursuing an account of profits is often more attractive because it spares the innocent party from having to prove the loss it has suffered from the breach. Such loss may be difficult to prove –…

South African labour law does not have any specific legislation solely dealing with compassionate leave in the event of bereavement. However, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 (BCEA) provides for what is termed family responsibility leave. The BCEA was introduced specifically to give effect to the right to fair labour practices by establishing and enforcing basic conditions of employment and also regulating the variation of the basic conditions of employment. Section 27 of the…

A coronial inquiry being conducted at the same time as a criminal proceeding may constitute interference with the due administration of criminal justice amounting to contempt of court. A recent Federal Court decision[1] has considered whether the examination of an employee witness at an inquest will constitute ‘interference’ for the purposes of the criminal proceeding against the employer. The inquest, which commenced in September 2017, was concerned with the death of Captain David Wood…

Overview On October 23, 2018, the Ontario Government announced its much anticipated legislation in relation to employment and labour law matters. The legislation, dubbed the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 (Bill 47), will remove or modify many of the obligations placed on Ontario employers by way of the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017 (Bill 148). Please see the summary below for an overview of the changes to the Employment Standards Act, 2000…

Overview On October 23, 2018, the Ontario Government announced its much anticipated legislation in relation to employment and labour law matters. The legislation, dubbed the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 (Bill 47), will remove or modify many of the obligations placed on Ontario employers by way of the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017 (Bill 148). Please see the summary below for an overview of the changes to the Labour Relations Act and…

Le gouvernement canadien a tenu promesse et a déposé, le 29 octobre dernier, son projet de loi intitulé Loi visant à établir un régime proactif d’équité salariale dans les secteurs public et privé fédéraux. En fait, ce projet de loi fait partie du projet de loi mammouth C-86, Loi no 2 portant exécution de certaines dispositions du budget déposé au Parlement le 27 février 2018 et mettant en oeuvre d’autres mesures. Ainsi, toutes les…

The Court of Appeal has upheld a decision of the High Court holding that an employer can be vicariously liable for data breaches caused by the actions of an employee, even where the employee’s actions were specifically intended to harm the employer. This decision is significant as it means a company can be held liable to compensate affected data subjects for loss caused by a data breach, even where the company has committed no wrongdoing…