Bank of Nova Scotia v. Canada Trust Co.

• Jurisdiction: Ontario
• Court: Ontario Court of Justice General Division (Canada)
• Judge: Ellen M. Macdonald, J.
• Citation: (1998), 59 O.T.C. 129 (GD)
• Date: 04 February 1998

BNS v. Can. Trust (1998), 59 O.T.C. 129 (GD)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [1998] O.T.C. TBEd. AP.041

Bank of Nova Scotia (plaintiff) v. Canada Trust Company (defendant)

(Court File No: 97-CV-135501)

Indexed As: Bank of Nova Scotia v. Canada Trust Co.

Ontario Court of Justice

General Division

Ellen M. Macdonald, J.

April 2, 1998.

Summary:

The Bank of Nova Scotia (the bank) sought a declaration that a cheque payable to Canada Trust Company was not a certified cheque. No employee of the bank had affixed his or her signature to the cheque. The bank moved for summary judgment.

The Ontario Court (General Division) held that the bank was required to honour the cheque and dismissed the motion.

Administrative Law - Topic 9118

Boards and tribunals - Judicial review - Curial deference to decisions of tribunals - See paragraphs 15 to 17.

Banks and Banking - Topic 3509

Cheques and orders drawn on deposits - Payment of cheques - General - Certification of cheque - What constitutes - See paragraphs 19 to 25.

Negotiable Instruments - Topic 4007

Cheques - General - Certified cheques - See paragraphs 19 to 25.

Cases Noticed:

United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Local 579 v. Bradco Construction Ltd., [1993] 2 S.C.R. 316; 153 N.R. 81; 106 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 140; 334 A.P.R. 140, refd to. [para. 17].

Bell Canada v. Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1722; 97 N.R. 15, refd to. [para. 17].

Falkiner et al. v. Ontario (Attorney General) (1996), 94 O.A.C. 109; 140 D.L.R.(4th) 115 (Div. Ct.), refd to. [para. 17].

Maubach v. Bank of Nova Scotia (1987), 25 O.A.C. 211; 62 O.R.(2d) 220 (C.A.), affing. (1987), 60 O.R.(2d) 189 (H.C.J.), refd to. [para. 20].

LePage (A.E.) Investments Ltd. et al. v. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce et al. (1994), 77 O.A.C. 280; 21 O.R.(3d) 164 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 22].

Statutes Noticed:

Banks and Banking Law Revision Act, S.C. 1980, c. 40, Part IV, generally [para. 7 et seq.].

Bills of Exchange Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. B-4, sect. 35 [para. 19].

Canadian Payment Association Act - see Banks and Banking Law Revision Act

Counsel:

Laurence A. Pattillo, for the plaintiff;

William T. Houston, for the defendant.

This motion was heard on February 4, 1998, by Ellen M. Macdonald, J., of the Ontario Court (General Division), who released the following reasons for decision on April 2, 1998.