Canada: White Collar Crime, Anti-Corruption & Fraud

Under the Ontario Land Titles Act (the “LTA”), a transfer of property may be removed from title if it is determined to be a “fraudulent instrument”.

In January 2024, the High Court in Pretoria delivered a landmark judgment invalidating the Department of Home Affairs’(DHA’s) practice of “ID blocking”. This practice entailed blocking individuals’ identity numbers and documents during fraud investigations without notice or hearing to affected individuals.

A Canadian court decision provides critical guidance on the scope of Canada's anti-corruption laws for companies operating internationally. The case examines when benefits provided to foreign officials constitute illegal quid pro quo arrangements, with particular implications for mining companies engaged in global operations requiring extensive government interaction.

Trademark scams targeting Canadian business owners are on the rise, with fraudsters impersonating lawyers and government officials to pressure victims into paying unnecessary fees or sharing sensitive information.

In a recent decision, former Woodstock mayor Trevor Birtch was sentenced to four years and eight months in custody following convictions of sexual assault.

The Québec Financial Markets Tribunal ruled on a transnational pump-and-dump scheme in Solo International Inc., finding violations of securities laws and imposing administrative penalties.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal recently confirmed that company executives can be personally liable for environmental infractions.

In Matiko John v. Barrick Gold Corporation, the Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the motion judge's decision to decline jurisdiction over a claim of human rights...

A New Zealand court has ordered Gisborne farmer John Bracken, the country’s largest tax fraudster, and his family to forfeit millions of dollars in assets connected to his crimes, concluding a lengthy legal dispute over whether the property held in a family trust could be retained.