Margaret Waddell in Law Times: “Canada and U.S. Diverge on Class Participation” —
As the Republican Congress in the U.S. puts its weight behind a bill that will require class plaintiffs and class members to suffer identical injuries, thereby severely restricting participation in class actions, Canadian courts have once again affirmed that class members and their representatives do not need to have identical claims.
John Phillips’ Win on CBC.ca: “Judge Calls RCMP Treatment of Sergeant ‘Outrageous’ in Bullying Case” —
The judge in a lawsuit against the RCMP has called the national police force’s treatment of plaintiff Sgt. Peter Merrifield “outrageous” and has chastised the force for its lack of credibility and forthrightness in defending the case. “The defendants had a reckless disregard of causing the plaintiff to suffer emotional distress,” wrote Judge Mary Vallee in her 176-page ruling. She awarded Merrifield $41,000 in lost wages for delayed advancement, and $100,000 in general damages for “harassment and intentional infliction of mental suffering.”
