MARSHALL LAW GROUP

The province and country’s courts are not the only forums for formal dispute resolution. In Ontario, there are a tremendous number of quasi-courts, if you will, that in some instances have exclusive jurisdiction (in the first instance) to deal with a wide range of matters.

For example, the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (what was formerly called the Ontario Municipal Board – OMB) hears appeals from municipal Committee of Adjustment decisions and various other land-disputes concerning development projects and the like.

These tribunals, boards and bodies typically must each craft and abide by their own codes of practice and procedure (which in turn must comply with the Statutory Powers Procedure Act) and must enforce and apply the laws crafted by the province’s legislature.

Lastly, there are sub-governmental tribunals and appeals processes for entities such as universities, clubs and associations. Typically, these are set up to deal with matters relating solely to membership, internal codes of conduct and the like. The rules of practice and procedure for these sorts of tribunals can come with added difficulty because they are often crafted by well-meaning people who are not trained in the administration of justice and may not be aware of the rights and obligations placed on participants to those processes.

Our lawyers have decades of experience appearing before tribunals and are very familiar with the laws and principles relating to administrative and natural justice.

The firm’s principal, Mr. T. David Marshall, has even co-authored the foundational rules of practice and procedure for Toronto’s Local Appeal Board, and has, over the years, acted for various municipalities in order to advise and provide guidance in respect to such quasi-judicial bodies.