Category Archives: Discovery

Various forms of discovery (examination under oath, documentary discovery, independent medical examinations, etc.)

Justice Quinn Clarifies Privilege Issues in Insurance Cases

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Stephen Cavanagh

I was happy to read the reasons of Justice Joseph W. Quinn in Panetta v. Retrocom et al., 2013 ONSC 2386 (CanLII) because, to my mind, they bring a great deal of clarity to what I find is an often-misunderstood topic: … Continue reading →

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Cases Take Different Approaches to Exclusion of Plaintiffs from Each Other’s Examination for Discovery

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Stephen Cavanagh

In a recent ruling, Mr. Justice Robert Smith was asked to order that three plaintiffs in a personal injury action be examined for discovery in the absence of each other. The case is Heasley v. Labelle, 2013 ONSC 2601 (CanLII). One … Continue reading →

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Witness Statements Must Be Produced?

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Stephen Cavanagh

In Portelance v. Williams, 2013 ONSC 1928 (CanLII), Justice Lynne Leitch dismissed a motion for leave to appeal a ruling of Justice Johanne Morissette, dealing with production of documents. Justice Morissette had ordered the defendant “to provide a summary of the … Continue reading →

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Master MacLeod Discusses Appropriate Procedure In Undertakings Motions

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Stephen Cavanagh

Kariouk v. Pombo was a motion by the plaintiff to compel plaintiffs to answer undertakings given in the course of examinations for discovery. A commonplace type of motion, to be sure. But it is because such motions occur so frequently … Continue reading →

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Leave to Appeal to Divisional Court Granted Concerning Applicable Test for Examination for Discovery of Second Deponent

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Stephen Cavanagh

Fortini v. Simcoe (County), 2012 ONSC 1034 (CanLII) is an interesting case in which Madam Justice Susan E. Healey granted leave to appeal an order of Madam Justice Anne Mullins, requiring that the appellant (defendant) produce a second deponent for … Continue reading →

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Brown J. Discusses Waiver of Privilege

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Stephen Cavanagh

In Ebrahim v. Continental Precious Minerals, 2012 ONSC 1123 (CanLII), Mr. Justice David M. Brown undertook a fairly comprehensive analysis of the circumstances in which both lawyer-client privilege and litigation privilege will be found to have been waived. The discussion arose … Continue reading →

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Master Dash Orders Defendants to Produce Proportionate Liability Sharing Agreement

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Stephen Cavanagh

Master Ronald Dash has ordered that a secret agreement, entered into by defendants and a third-party in Moore v. Bertuzzi, 2012 ONSC 597 (CanLII), must be disclosed to the plaintiffs. In his reasons, the master undertook a comprehensive review of … Continue reading →

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Surveillance Provided to IME Examiner Must Simultaneously Be Given to Plaintiff

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Stephen Cavanagh

In Aherne v. Chang, 2011 ONSC 3846 (CanLII), Mr. Justice Paul Perell decided an appeal from a decision of Master Short. The Master had ordered that if the defendants in a medical malpractice action were to require that the plaintiffs undergo … Continue reading →

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Perell J. discusses permissible scope of cross-examination on affidavits

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Stephen Cavanagh

In Ontario v. Rothmans Inc., 2011 ONSC 2504 (CanLII), Mr. Justice Paul Perell has analyzed in depth the proper bounds of cross-examinations on affidavits. He allowed an appeal from a ruling by Master Donald Short, in which the Master had … Continue reading →

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Providing surveillance to defence medical expert constitutes waiver of privilege over it

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Stephen Cavanagh

In Aherne v. Chang, 2011 ONSC 2067 (CanLII), Master Donald E. Short considered the question of whether sending privileged surveillance videos to a defence medical expert in a personal injury action results in the loss of privilege on the surveillance. … Continue reading →

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