{"id":681,"date":"2025-08-14T23:03:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T23:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lco-projects-work.local\/?post_type=project&#038;p=681"},"modified":"2026-02-19T21:47:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T21:47:09","slug":"class-actions","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/projects\/class-actions\/","title":{"rendered":"Class Actions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Project Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The LCO\u2019s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/publications\/class-actions-objectives-experiences-and-reforms-final-report\/\">Class Actions: Objectives, Experiences and Reforms<\/a><\/em> is the first independent, evidence-based review of Ontario\u2019s <em>Class Proceedings Act, 1992<\/em> (CPA) since its enactment. The project examined whether class actions are achieving their three legislative goals\u2014access to justice, judicial economy, and behaviour modification\u2014and whether the CPA still reflects current class action practice and justice system priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Class actions have become one of the most visible and far-reaching legal procedures in Canada. Over nearly three decades, they have expanded dramatically in scale and complexity, addressing issues from consumer protection and product liability to privacy breaches, environmental harm, institutional abuse, and labour and securities disputes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through extensive research, public submissions, and consultations with lawyers, judges, academics, class members, administrators, and policy experts, the LCO developed Ontario\u2019s first empirical class action database and a set of 47 recommendations to modernize the CPA and related policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Government of Ontario adopted many of the LCO\u2019s class action recommendations in its 2020 amendments to the\u00a0<em>Class Proceedings Act (1992).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Advisory Committee<\/summary>\n<p>The Advisory Committee members were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Honourable Stephen T. Goudge \u2013 Chair of the Advisory Committee and LCO Board Liaison<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/audrenrolland.com\/en\/\">Marie Audren<\/a> \u2013 Partner, Audren Rolland LLP<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/globalresolutions.com\/members\/tim-buckley\">Tim Buckley<\/a> \u2013 Global Resolutions Inc. (formerly of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Michael A. Eizenga \u2013 Partner, Bennett Jones LLP<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.osgoode.yorku.ca\/faculty-and-staff\/farrow-trevor-c-w\/\">Professor Trevor C. W. Farrow<\/a> \u2013 Osgoode Hall Law School<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/tjl.quebec\/en\/andre-lesperance\/\">Andr\u00e9 Lesp\u00e9rance<\/a> \u2013 Partner, Trudel, Johnston and Lesperance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/kmlaw.ca\/lawyers\/celeste-poltak\/\">Celeste Poltak<\/a> \u2013 Partner, Koskie Minsky LLP<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Linda Rothstein \u2013 Partner, Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-681_54491a-3a\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Recommendations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;LCO\u2019s 47 recommendations include substantive and technical amendments to the&nbsp;<em>CPA<\/em>, significant practice management reforms, and major new reporting obligations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Modernize CPA case management, carriage and multijurisdictional proceedings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Introduce strict rules requiring parties to advance actions in a timely manner, new administrative dismissal provisions, and new authority for courts to case manage actions proactively.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Implement new provisions to better manage carriage hearings and multijurisdictional class actions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Improve certification and settlement proceedings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Encourage courts to apply certification test more rigorously, use summary judgement motions more frequently, and adopt best practices for certification motions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establish new obligations on parties seeking settlement approval, improved notice requirements, mandatory and detailed \u201coutcome\u201d reports, and new provisions governing claims administrators and cy-pr\u00e8s.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Increase transparency and accountability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Increase scrutiny of counsel fees.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Introduce new reporting requirements for parties seeking settlement approval, including detailed \u201coutcome reports\u201d on take up rates, compensation for class members, and legal and transaction costs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enhance notice requirements and oversight of claims administrators and cy-pr\u00e8s distributions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Implement new provisions to govern third party funding and the Class Proceedings Fund.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These reforms aim to make class actions faster, fairer, and more accountable\u2014reinforcing public confidence in the process and ensuring that class proceedings continue to serve their intended purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-681_c31572-93\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1776,"template":"","project-taxonomy":[67],"project-status":[64],"class_list":["post-681","project","type-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","project-taxonomy-class-actions","project-status-completed"],"meta_box":{"project_taxonomy":{"term_id":67,"name":"Class Actions","slug":"class-actions","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":67,"taxonomy":"project-taxonomy","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"},"project_status":{"term_id":64,"name":"Completed","slug":"completed","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":64,"taxonomy":"project-status","description":"","parent":0,"count":19,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"},"year_completed":"2019","project_summary":"","project_thumbnail":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/project"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"project-taxonomy","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project-taxonomy?post=681"},{"taxonomy":"project-status","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lco-cdo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project-status?post=681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}