The most widely read magazine for Canadian lawyers
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/1426259
UPFRONT 10 www.canadianlawyermag.com QUEBEC UPDATE NEWS BRIEFS Quebec's privacy bill receives royal assent Act is 'first domino in a series of changes that will be reshaping the Canadian privacy landscape' ON SEPTEMBER 22, the Ac t to modernize legislative provisions relating to the protection of personal information (Bill 64) received royal assent after its adoption by the National Assembly of Quebec a day earlier. The Act represents a significant reform of the current privacy regime in Quebec, with changes aimed at improving transpar- ency, enhancing consent requirements and increasing data confidentiality. Its enforce- ment will be spread out over three years and affect both the private and public sector businesses operating in Quebec. "The passing of Bill 64 cannot be over- stated," said Imran Ahmad, head of tech- nology and co-chair of data protection, privacy & cybersecurity at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada. "It's the first domino in a series of changes that will be reshaping the Canadian privacy landscape," Ahmad added. "Increased enforcement powers coupled with a GDPR- type approach — our clients are looking at SNC-Lavalin invited to negotiate remediation agreement In September, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. welcomed the offer of Quebec's Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales to negotiate a remediation agreement resolving certain charges, marking the first time a Canadian company has received an invitation to negotiate this type of agreement. SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. said in a press release that it had fully cooperated with authorities during a fraud investigation. The company acknowledged the charges regarding alleged offences between 1997 to 2004 concerning the Jacques Cartier Bridge Refurbishment project, a $128-million contract wherein SNC-Lavalin was a 50-per-cent consortium partner. Court approves $60M settlement against religious brothers The Superior Court of Quebec has approved a settlement agreement for an aggregate amount of $60 million concerning class actions filed against the religious congregation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. The class comprises all those sexually assaulted by a religious member of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, either while they were training, in a camp, church or parish, or students at Mont Sacré-Coeur de Granby. Class members must file a claim form by July 30, 2022, to benefit from the settlement agreement. Christian Létourneau becomes Dentons' Montreal managing partner Christian Létourneau, former lead of Dentons Canada LLP's national Employment and Labour group, has become the firm's new Montreal managing partner, marking the first change in the role since Fraser Milner Casgrain went global under the Dentons name in 2013. Létourneau — who has been recognized for his expertise in psychological harassment cases and conciliation strategies and has experience in commercial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions — replaces Claude Morency. He has held the role since 2007. Morency has now joined Dentons' national board of directors. His practice covers large- scale corporate, commercial and construction litigation. Storytelling project examines agricultural law in documentary A University of Ottawa law professor and filmmaker visited an artisanal farm in Quebec to get an account of the obstacles that keep small farmers from selling their goods to consumers and how small farms operate. Jurivision's resulting half-hour French-language documentary, The Right to Farm — Artisanal production and its legislative framework in Quebec features an interview with artisanal producer, Dominic Lamontagne, author of La ferme impossible, and provides a close-up of small-scale farming and the myriad regulations accompanying the production and sale of food and beverages. Quebec book industry urges Copyright Act reform In September, several Quebec publishing groups urged the federal political parties to reform Canada's copyright law. The groups hope to make Canada a model for copyright protection. Changes to the Copyright Act in 2012 rendered the definition of fair use for educational purposes unclear, said Suzanne Aubry, president of UNEQ.