Law Times

Law Times • January 29, 2018 Page 5 www.lawtimesnews.com Brings Ontario's program in line with the U.S. Changes proposed to protect whistleblowers BY JENNIFER BROWN Law Times O ntario is seeking fur- ther comment on aspects of its Whis- tleblower Program, including a proposed revision to clarify that in-house coun- sel who report misconduct in breach of law society rules won't be entitled to cash awards. Earlier this month, two po- tential amendments to Ontario's Whistleblower Program were in- troduced by the province and the Ontario Securities Commission. The government said it in- tends to introduce a civil cause of action for whistleblowers who experience reprisal for co- operating with the commission. The introduction of a civil cause of action for reprisal is a welcome change to Ontario's Whistleblower Program, says Nadia Campion, partner at Pol- ley Faith LLP in Toronto. "It gives teeth to the prohibi- tion on employers from taking action that would adversely affect an employee who co-operates with the OSC," she says. It also brings Ontario's Whis- tleblower Program in line with protections available to whistle- blowers in the United States un- der the Dodd-Frank Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002. "As we know, the American Whistleblower Program has been relatively successful in ensuring that whistleblowers feel protected from reprisal and, therefore, are more inclined to report or dis- close misconduct," she says. The change will also incen- tivize employers to ensure that they have strong whistleblower policies in place and that super- visors and managers are trained with respect to dealing with whistleblowers. "It also serves to raise aware- ness for employees that they should not be fearful of doing the right thing, which is to report misconduct first through inter- nal channels and then if neces- sary to the OSC. Indeed, I think that the change will encourage employees to first use internal reporting systems before going direct to the OSC. This, in my view, is advantageous to organi- zations," she says. The OSC also proposed on Jan. 18 revisions to the Whistle- blower Program to clarify that in- house counsel who report mis- conduct in breach of applicable law society rules would not be eli- gible for a whistleblower award. It is seeking comments on the pro- posal from now until March 20. "To the extent the law society raised concerns, it's not entirely surprising there would be a push to clarify it," says Rebecca Wise, lawyer with Torys LLP in To- ronto. "My sense is, and I think the OSC's request for comment made it clear, that the intention was never that individuals act- ing in their legal capacity could be eligible for whistleblower awards. This is really just clari- fication of that, simply because the starting proposal was that lawyers acting in a legal capac- ity wouldn't have been eligible in any event." The changes highlight the fact that in-house counsel have to "walk a very fine line" between reporting misconduct and en- suring that they are complying with their duties as lawyers, such as maintaining solicitor-client privilege, says Campion. She adds that by making in- house counsel ineligible for a whistleblower award in circum- stances where their disclosure or reporting to the OSC would otherwise violate applicable law society rules, the OSC is ensur- ing that in-house counsel un- dertake "a careful analysis of, and ref lect on, their role within the organization and whether they are acting in a legal capacity with respect to matters they are contemplating reporting. "This represents a positive step towards ensuring that cli- ents can continue to consult with and seek advice from their in-house counsel without fear that in doing so they are sub- jecting themselves to a possible whistleblower report," she says. "It also protects against the pos- sibility that individuals may be motivated to report in order to secure a financial gain notwith- standing the duties they owe as lawyers to their clients." The Ontario Securities Com- mission launched its Whistle- blower Program in July 2016 and many companies revised policies and came out with their own programs. Wise says she frequently ad- vises clients on internal whistle- blower investigations and that since the adoption of the OSC's program she's noticed a spike in the number of whistleblower- type investigations. "I think there is more of a whistleblower culture in some companies where employees are being encouraged to come forward and companies are tak- ing complaints they receive very seriously and conducting good investigations into them," she says. LT NEWS Rebecca Wise says she's noticed a spike in the number of whistleblower-type inves- tigations. JUDICIAL VACANCY ONTARIO COURT OF JUSTICE WINDSOR The Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee advises the Attorney General of Ontario on the appointment of Judges to the Ontario Court of Justice, and invites applications for a judicial position in Windsor. This appointment involves presiding over criminal law matters and also involves travel within the regional boundaries as assigned by the Regional Senior Justice and/or the Chief Justice. The minimum requirement to apply to be a Judge in the Ontario Court of Justice is ten years completed membership as a barrister and solicitor at the Bar of one of the Provinces or Territories of Canada. All candidates must apply either by submitting 14 copies of the current (July 2017) completed Judicial Candidate Information Form in the first instance or by a short letter (14 copies) if the form has been submitted within the previous 12 months. Should you wish to change any information in your application, you must send in 14 copies of a fully revised Judicial Candidate Information Form. If you wish to apply and need a current Judicial Candidate Information Form, or if you would like further information, please contact: Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee Tel: (416) 326-4060 Fax: (416) 212-7316 Website: www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/jaac/ All applications, either sent by courier, mail or hand delivery, must be sent to: Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee c/o Ministry of Government Services Mail Delivery 77 Wellesley Street West, Room M2B-88 Macdonald Block, Queen's Park Toronto, Ontario, M7A 1N3 Applications must be on the current prescribed form and must be TYPEWRITTEN or COMPUTER GENERATED and RECEIVED BY 4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 16, 2018. CANDIDATES ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE 14 COPIES OF THEIR APPLICATION FORM OR LETTER. A Fax copy will be accepted only if 14 copies of the application or letter are sent concurrently by overnight courier. Applications received after this date WILL NOT be considered. The Judiciary of the Ontario Court of Justice should reasonably reflect the diversity of the population it serves. Applications from members of equality- seeking groups are encouraged. POSTE À POURVOIR AU SEIN DE LA MAGISTRATURE COUR DE JUSTICE DE L'ONTARIO WINDSOR Le Comité consultatif sur les nominations à la magistrature conseille le Procureur général de l'Ontario sur les nominations de juges à la Cour de justice de l'Ontario et invite les personnes intéressées à présenter leur demande au poste de juge à Windsor. Cette nomination consiste à présider des causes criminelles et nécessite également des déplacements à l'intérieur des limites régionales, selon les assignations du juge principal régional ou du juge en chef. Pour pouvoir poser sa candidature à un poste de juge à la Cour de justice de l'Ontario, il faut, comme condition minimale, avoir été inscrit comme avocat-plaidant et procureur au barreau de l'une des provinces ou de l'un des territoires du Canada pendant au moins dix ans. Tous les candidats et candidates doivent poser leur candidature soit, dans le premier cas, en présentant le Formulaire de renseignements sur le candidat/la candidate à la magistrature courant (juillet 2017), soit en envoyant une courte lettre (en 14 exemplaires) si le formulaire a été présenté au cours des 12 mois précédents. En cas de changements à apporter à un formulaire déjà envoyé, le candidat ou la candidate doit envoyer à nouveau 14 exemplaires du formulaire de renseignements corrigé. Si vous voulez poser votre candidature et que vous avez besoin d'un Formulaire de renseignements sur le candidat/la candidate à la magistrature courant, ou encore si vous souhaitez obtenir de plus amples renseignements, veuillez communiquer avec : Comité consultatif sur les nominations à la magistrature Téléphone : (416) 326-4060 Télécopieur : (416) 212-7316 Site Web : www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/fr/jaac/ Toutes les demandes envoyées par service de messagerie, par la poste ou en main propre doivent être soumises à l'adresse suivante : Comité consultatif sur les nominations à la magistrature a/s Ministère des Services gouvernementaux - Services de distribution du courrier 77, rue Wellesley Ouest, salle M2B-88 Édifice Macdonald, Queen's Park Toronto (Ontario) M7A 1N3 Les demandes de candidature doivent être déposées par l'entremise du formulaire prescrit courant et DACTYLOGRAPHIÉES ou CRÉÉES PAR ORDINATEUR et reçues au plus tard à 16 h 30 le vendredi 16 février 2018. LES CANDIDATS ET CANDIDATES DOIVENT FOURNIR 14 EXEMPLAIRES DE LEUR FORMULAIRE OU DE LEUR LETTRE DE CANDIDATURE. Une télécopie ne sera acceptée que si 14 exemplaires du formulaire ou de la lettre de candidature sont également envoyés par service de messagerie de 24 heures. On n'accordera AUCUNE considération aux candidatures reçues après cette date. La magistrature provinciale doit refléter raisonnablement la diversité de la population qu'elle sert. Nous encourageons les membres de groupes de promotion de l'égalité à présenter une demande. Untitled-5 1 2018-01-23 11:27 AM It gives teeth to the prohibition on employers from taking action that would adversely affect an employee who co-operates with the OSC. Nadia Campion

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