Solicitor-client privilege remains a fundamental right which is only displaced where absolutely necessary. The court in Sakab Saudi Holding Company v Al Jabri, 2025 ONSC 35 [Sakab Saudi] upheld the presumption of solicitor-client privilege protection to a law firm’s trust ledger but found that the motion judge erred in extending that same presumption to the […]
On July 20th 2018, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously held that “although solicitor-client privilege provides a near-impenetrable shield for communications with counsel, it is not a sword that can be wielded to pierce informer privilege.” In other words, privilege cannot pierce privilege. Confident and well-constructed, Justice Abella’s decision for the Court in R v […]
When corporate lawyers choose to exchange information with opposing counsel, they do so with a view towards a smooth and confidential closing of their client’s transaction. In particular, the promise of confidentiality is granted by the doctrine of “common interest privilege”. Privilege protects all communications between a professional legal adviser and their clients from being disclosed […]
The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) recently decided two cases on solicitor-client privilege and litigation privilege in Lizotte v Aviva Insurance Company of Canada, 2016 SCC 52 [Lizotte] and Alberta (Information and Privacy Commissioner) v University of Calgary, 2016 SCC 53 [Alberta]. These judgments solidify the SCC’s safeguarding of solicitor-client and litigation privilege, and establish a higher […]
How are courts to deal with instances where solicitor-client privilege and the right to full answer and defence – both principles of fundamental justice, protected under section 7 of the Charter – come into conflict? More specifically, can solicitor-client privilege between the Crown and police be abrogated in a criminal proceeding, so that the accused […]
In a decision being lauded by the bar, the Supreme Court of Canada held that provisions of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, SC 2000, c 17 [PCTFA] violate sections 7 and 8 of the Charter in Canada (Attorney General) v Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2015 SCC 7 [FLSC].