Don’t Lien on YVR

April 19th, 2011  |  Comments

In a February 2011 decision (link), the British Columbia Court of Appeal confirmed that the principal sections of the provincial Builders Lien Act were inapplicable to the Vancouver International Airport Authority, which leases the federal lands upon which the Airport is built.

Two contractors who had supplied materials and labour for improvements to the airport premises filed builders liens against the Airport’s leasehold interest in the Airport lands.  The Builders Lien Act creates liens that can be enforced by sale of land if the debt to the filing party is not paid.

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Federal Aeronautics Powers Reaffirmed

December 18th, 2010  |  Comments

“Air Transportation is an indispensable part of modern life. Yet as our dependence on aircraft has grown, the demands of aviation have increasingly collided with other interests.”

These words with which Chief Justice McLachlin began her judgment in Quebec (Attorney General) v. Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, 2010 SCC 39 summarized the issue before her.

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Invasion of the Body Scanners

March 16th, 2010  |  Comments

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Airport body scanners have gained a lot of attention since their increasing use in North America and Europe in the wake of the failed attack by the “Underwear Bomber”.  Questions have been raised about whether the scanners invade an individual’s right to privacy and/or religious freedom, and if so, whether that invasion is justified.

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