Court of Appeal Affirms Limitation Period for Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments

Sabrina Saltmarsh, B.A. (Hons), J.D.Commercial, Cross-Border Litigation, Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, Enforcement of Foreign Judgments0 Comments

In the recent Court of Appeal decision of Sunlight General Capital LLC v. Effisolar Energy Corporation, 2023 ONCA 133, the Court of Appeal reaffirmed the principles established in  Independence Plaza 1 Associates L.L.C. v. Figliolini, 2017 ONCA 44, 136 O.R. (3d) 202, (“Independent Plaza 1”) at para. 3, that the limitation period for the recognition and enforcement of a foreign judgment begins to run from the date on which the right of appeal in respect of that judgment expires, and not from the date of issuance of the judgment. Facts: The Respondent, Sunlight General Capital LLC (the “Respondent”), had obtained a judgment against the Appellant, Effisolar Energy Corporation (the “Appellant”), in the Supreme Court of New York for approximately 1.6 million U.S. The judgment was issued on October 18, 2018, and on May 19, 2019, an appeal with the Supreme Court of New York was administratively dismissed. The Respondent moved … Read More

Recognition of Foreign Judgments and Arbitral Awards – Recent Decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice says Ontario Court is Not to Intervene Absent Exceptional Circumstances

Gilbertson Davis LLPArbitrators, Business Arbitrator, Business Litigation, Civil Liability, Civil Litigation, Commercial and Contract Litigation, Commercial Arbitration, Commercial Arbitrator, Commercial Litigation, Cross-Border Litigation, Debt and Enforcing Judgments, Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, Enforcement of Foreign Judgments0 Comments

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice (“OSCJ”) recently released its decision in Costco Wholesale Corporation v. TicketOps Corporation, 2023 ONSC 573, granting an application to enforce judgments received by the applicant from the United States District Court (Western District of Washington at Seattle) and/or the underlying arbitral awards. At the same time, the OSCJ also rejected the Respondents’ motion to convert the application into an action. Recognition of Awards With regard to the Awards, the OSCJ advises as follows: “In Ontario, foreign arbitral awards are enforceable through the International Commercial Arbitration Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 2, Sched. 5 (“ICAA”).  The ICAA provides that the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (“Convention”) has force of law in Ontario.  The Convention is set out in Schedule 1 to the ICAA.  The ICAA also provides that the Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (“Model Law”) has force of law in Ontario.  The Model Law is set out in Schedule 2 to the ICAA.” The OSCJ notes that the Convention and … Read More