Canada Judgment

Federal Court

Heyder v. Canada (Attorney General)

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01

Holding and result

The court granted the parties' agreed extensions because the plaintiffs consented and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic made the extensions necessary and in the interests of justice, and the proposed amendments to the FSA and SSA were not materially different absent time-frame changes.

Court disposition

Order granted

Orders

  • Commencement of the Claims Period extended by 60 days by amending definition of "Claims Period" in Section 1.01 of the FSA to: "Claims Period" means the eighteen (18) month period commencing ninety (90) days from the Implementation date to the Individual Application Deadline.
  • Conclusion of the Claims Period extended by 60 days by amending definition of "Individual Application Deadline" in Section 1.01 of the FSA to: "Individual Application Deadline" means ninety (90) days following the eighteen (18) month anniversary of the Implementation Date.
  • Time frame for Lead Assessor and Associate Lead Assessor to establish and administer a process to identify individuals to be considered for appointment as Assessors extended by 60 days by amending first paragraph of Section 4.02 of the SSA to require completion within 150 days of the Court's approval of the SSA.
  • Section 19.04 of the FSA amended to require that no amendment or supplement may be made unless agreed to by the parties in writing and, except with respect to time frames, approved by the Court without any material difference.

02

Material facts

Parties

Sherry Heyder

Plaintiff

Amy Graham

Plaintiff

Nadine Schultz-Nielsen

Plaintiff

Larry Beattie

Plaintiff

The Attorney General of Canada

Defendant

Amounts and remedies

  • Claims Period Commencement Extension (days): 60
  • Individual Application Deadline Extension (days): 60
  • Lead Assessor Process Timeframe (days): 150
  • Claims Period Duration (months): 18
  • Implementation to Commencement (days): 90

03

Procedural history

  1. Posture

    Class Action Settlement Administration / Motion for Extension of Time Frames; Consent Order

04

Questions and positions

Legal issues

Party arguments

Applicant
Defendant sought an order extending multiple time frames in the FSA and SSA by 60 days (and one by setting 150 days) because the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic prevented timely performance and administration under the settlement.
Respondent
Plaintiffs consented to the form of the proposed order and agreed the extensions were appropriate in the circumstances.

05

Court’s reasoning

  1. 01

    Common law principle applied by Federal Court (Fothergill J.)

    Court may approve consensual amendments to settlement timelines where doing so is in the interests of justice.

  2. 02

    Final Settlement Agreement and Second Supplementary Agreement as interpreted by the Court

    Parties may agree to written amendments to a settlement subject to court approval when required by the settlement terms; time-frame adjustments can be approved without material difference.

06

Ratio, limits and disposition

Ratio decidendi

The court granted the parties' agreed extensions because the plaintiffs consented and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic made the extensions necessary and in the interests of justice, and the proposed amendments to the FSA and SSA were not materially different absent time-frame changes.

Obiter and limits

  • Court amended Section 19.04 of the FSA to clarify that amendments or supplements require written agreement of the parties and, except with respect to time frames, court approval where there is no material difference

Court disposition

Order granted

  • Commencement of the Claims Period extended by 60 days by amending definition of "Claims Period" in Section 1.01 of the FSA to: "Claims Period" means the eighteen (18) month period commencing ninety (90) days from the Implementation date to the Individual Application Deadline.
  • Conclusion of the Claims Period extended by 60 days by amending definition of "Individual Application Deadline" in Section 1.01 of the FSA to: "Individual Application Deadline" means ninety (90) days following the eighteen (18) month anniversary of the Implementation Date.
  • Time frame for Lead Assessor and Associate Lead Assessor to establish and administer a process to identify individuals to be considered for appointment as Assessors extended by 60 days by amending first paragraph of Section 4.02 of the SSA to require completion within 150 days of the Court's approval of the SSA.
  • Section 19.04 of the FSA amended to require that no amendment or supplement may be made unless agreed to by the parties in writing and, except with respect to time frames, approved by the Court without any material difference.

Source and reliance status

Federal Court · 23 March 2020

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Judgment text

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Source document

Federal Court

Judgment· 23 March 2020

2020 FC 406

Heyder v. Canada (Attorney General) Court (s) Database Federal Court Decisions Date 2020-03-23 Neutral citation 2020 FC 406 File numbers T-2111-16, T-460-17 Decision Content Date: 20200323 Dockets: T-2111-16 T-460-17 Citation: 2020 FC 406 Ottawa, Ontario, March 23, 2020 PRESENT: The Honourable Mr. Justice Fothergill Docket: T-2111-16 BETWEEN:

SHERRY HEYDER

AMY GRAHAM NADINE SCHULTZ-NIELSEN Plaintiffs and

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA Defendant Docket: T-460-17 AND BETWEEN:

LARRY BEATTIE Plaintiff and

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA Defendant

ORDER (Extension of Time Frames) UPON the motion made by the Defendants in writing for an Order extending the time frames specified in the Final Settlement Agreement [FSA] and Second Supplementary Agreement [SSA]; AND UPON reading the Defendants’ motion record; AND UPON being informed of the Plaintiffs’ consent to the form of this Order; AND UPON being satisfied that, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is in the interests of justice to extend the time frames in the manner proposed by the parties; THIS COURT ORDERS that: The commencement of the Claims Period is extended by 60 days by amending the definition of “Claims Period” in Section 1.01 of the FSA to read as follows: “Claims Period” means the eighteen (18) month period commencing ninety (90) days from the Implementation date to the Individual Application Deadline; The conclusion of the Claims Period is extended by 60 days by amending the definition of “Individual Application Deadline” in Section 1.01 of the FSA to read as follows: “Individual Application Deadline” means ninety (90) days following the eighteen (18) month anniversary of the Implementation Date; The time frame for the Lead Assessor and Associate Lead Assessor to establish and administer a process to identify individuals to be considered for appointment as Assessors is extended by 60 days by amending the first paragraph of Section 4.02 of the SSA to read

as follows: Within 150 days of the Court’s approval of this SSA, in consultation with the Parties, the Lead Assessor, with the assistance of the Associate Lead Assessor, will establish and administer a process to identify individuals to be considered for appointment of Assessors. Section 19.04 of the FSA is amended to read as follows: Except as expressly provided in this FSA, no amendment or supplement may be made to the provisions of this FSA and no restatement of this FSA may be made unless agreed to by the parties in writing and, except with respect to time frames, any such amendment, supplement or restatement is approved by the Court without any material difference. “Simon Fothergill” Judge

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