Class Action Case Study: From Certification to Trial in Jer v Samji

• Author: Mathew P Good
• Pages: 261-280

261

CLASS ACTION CASE STUDY:

FROM CERTIFICATION TO TRIAL

IN

JER V SAMJI

Mathew P Good

Abstract: Rel atively few Canadian cl ass action case s ultimately

go through to trial. In British Columbia, the Jer v Samji lit i-

gation presents a usef ul case study on effectively m anaging

massive multi-par ty litigation. A complex fraud perp etrated

by a notary resu lted in more than f‌ifty lawsuits, including

a class proceedi ng, multiple individual actions, a ba nkruptcy,

and regulatory l itigation. The resulting i ntensive case manage-

ment approach est ablished a pro cess for eff‌icie nt adjudication

and settlement of all matter s within three years, including

trial and appe al. Following a detailed rev iew of the proceed-

ings, the author outlines pract ical lessons lea rned and sug-

gests some best practice s for dealing with fut ure complex

multi-party events b ased on this rea l-world experience.