Can you back out of buying a house after signing an Agreement of Purchase and Sale, commonly called an APS? Usually, not without serious consequences. Once the conditions in the APS have been satisfied or waived, the agreement is generally binding on both the buyer and the seller. Can a buyer back out of buying … Read more
Can you remove a tree that sits directly on your and your neighbour’s property line without asking them? Dr. Mart Gross, a university biology professor in Toronto, thought the answer was yes—provided the tree was a safety hazard. For years, Dr. Gross had eyed the mature Norway maple straddling his property line with his neighbor, … Read more
Let’s say someone wronged you in Ontario. Maybe someone borrowed money from you and is refusing to pay it back. Maybe you were wrongfully terminated from your job. Maybe you experienced harassment or discrimination. Or maybe you underwent a medical procedure and later discovered that something may have been done negligently. A common question is: … Read more
There are two major parts of the justice system in Canada that people often hear about: criminal justice and civil justice. The criminal justice system deals with offences against the public or society. For example, assault, theft, fraud, or impaired driving. In these cases, the government, through the Crown prosecutor, brings the case against the … Read more
Have you ever heard of the term “rule of law”? Some countries have a rule of law, and there are others where there is injustice. Rule of law means that law governs the society. It means no one is above the law, including the government, the judges, the lawyers. Everyone is subject to the law. … Read more
Sometimes, the information you need for a lawsuit is not in your hands. It may not even be in the hands of the person you want to sue. For example, the information may be with the police, a bank, an internet company, an employer, a hospital, an insurance company, or another third party. In Ontario … Read more
Can you make a company pay for making you sick even if you didn’t buy its product yourself? In 1928, a dead snail helped answer that question. May Donoghue went to a café in Scotland with a friend, who bought her a bottle of ginger beer. The bottle was dark, so Donoghue couldn’t see what … Read more