Information About Administrative Law Matters
Recent Posts
Below is a preview of the five most recent posts from the blog Administrative Law Matters. To read these posts in their entirely or subscribe to future updates from this blog, please visit their website!
- Ontario Bar Association Judicial Review Update
With Justice Stratas from the Federal Court of Appeal, I will be presenting the Ontario Bar Association’s annual judicial review update next week (October 14). Register here. The bill of fare is below! Foundations of Judicial Review & Adequate Alternative Remedies Democracy Watch v. Canada (Attorney … Read more »
- Reconsideration and Judicial Review: Association québécoise des consommateurs industriels d’électricité (AQCIE) c. Hydro-Québec, 2026 QCCA 1154
In previous posts here and here, I have discussed the functus officio principle and statutory reconsideration authority. Here I discuss a recent case with a mix of both Now consider one further difficulty. Where an administrative decision-maker has reconsidered (Decision 2) its original decision (De … Read more »
- Functus Officio and Reconsideration in the Administrative State: Statutory Powers
Here is the second part of my series on functus officio and reconsideration (see also here) Another layer of complexity is added by the fact that many statutes explicitly provide for reconsideration, often using different language, and sometimes giving the reconsideration authority to a member or pa … Read more »
- Mandatory and Directory Considerations: O’Donnell v Dublin City Council, [2026] IESC 36 and Akbars Restaurant (Middlesborough) Limited v Secretary of State for the Home Department, [2026] UKSC 26
One of my favourite topics for dinner parties — which may be why I receive so few dinner party invitations — is the distinction between mandatory and directory considerations. Difficulties arise because while legislation often stipulates that certain formal and procedural requirements must be observ … Read more »
- Reasonableness Review and Objective Constraints: Construction and General Workers Union Local 180 v KDM Constructors LP, 2026 SKCA 75 and Law Society of Ontario v. AA, 2026 ONCA 47
In my paper celebrating Vavilov’s fifth anniversary, I argued that the legal and factual constraints central to the application of the reasonableness standard of review have an objective character: it is up to reviewing courts to determine whether, in any given case, a particular legal or factual co … Read more »