News and Cases
Final Submissions at the Foreign Interference Commission
November 4, 2024
Chantler & Company was honoured to make final oral and written submissions on behalf of the Chinese Canadian Concern Group at the Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions. A link to our full written submissions can be found here.
The Concern Group was granted full party status for the final stage of the Inquiry and participated actively in hearings held in Ottawa throughout 2024. The group—a grassroots coalition with deep roots in human rights advocacy dating back to the Tiananmen Square protests—was a vital voice in ensuring that the lived experiences of Chinese Canadians were brought to the forefront.
Presided over by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue of the Quebec Court of Appeal, the Commission was established to examine the nature and extent of foreign interference in Canada’s recent federal elections and democratic institutions. Over several months, it heard evidence from some of the most senior officials in the country, including:
The Prime Minister of Canada
Multiple Cabinet Ministers, including the Minister of Public Safety and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Current and former Members of Parliament
The Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)
The National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister
Senior officials from the RCMP, Global Affairs Canada, and Elections Canada
In our closing submissions, we highlighted the urgent need to address the real and ongoing threats of foreign interference, including:
The transnational repression of Chinese Canadians through harassment, surveillance, and cyberattacks
The operation of overseas police stations on Canadian soil
The capture of Chinese-language media by the Chinese Communist Party
The chilling effect of these tactics on political participation and community trust
We urged the Commission to issue bold, forward-looking recommendations that will strengthen Canada’s democratic institutions, protect vulnerable communities, and send a clear message that foreign interference will not be tolerated.
This inquiry has been a critical moment in Canada’s democratic life. We are proud to have supported the Concern Group in this historic process and remain committed to defending the rights, dignity, and political voice of all Canadians.
Related media:
CBC News: Foreign interference hearing closes with partisan jabs and policy points (Oct 24, 2024):
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/foreign-interference-public-hearing-wrap-1.7362908
Chantler & Company Co-Founds Gastown Litigation Counsel
May 1, 2024
Chantler & Company is pleased to announce the formation of Gastown Litigation Counsel, a new litigation-focused practice we have co-founded in partnership with Scouten & Rogers.
Based in The Landing in historic Gastown, Gastown Litigation Counsel brings together two experienced civil litigation firms under a shared model that combines collaboration with independence. While each firm retains its own practice and identity, we share office space, infrastructure, and a commitment to principled advocacy.
Our model is unique: it allows us to operate efficiently, exchange ideas freely, and provide clients with exceptional service from senior counsel. By streamlining operations and maintaining a lean structure, we ensure that our clients receive focused, responsive, and cost-effective legal representation.
Together, we will continue to offer civil litigation and dispute resolution services across a broad range of practice areas, including commercial litigation, public interest law, and human rights matters. Whether navigating complex contractual disputes or advancing constitutional and equality rights, we bring experience, strategic thinking, and deep dedication to every file.
We are excited to begin this new chapter and look forward to continuing to serve our clients—and the broader community—with integrity, skill, and care.
For more information, visit: www.glc-law.ca.
C&C Represents Chinese Canadian Concern Group at Foreign Interference Commission
Photo by Adrian Wyld, The Canadian Press
December 4, 2023
Chantler & Company is honoured to represent the Chinese Canadian Concern Group at the Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions.
The Concern Group has been granted official intervenor status and will participate in the hearings taking place in Ottawa throughout 2024. The group advocates for the rights, dignity, and democratic participation of Chinese Canadians, and seeks to ensure that the inquiry fully considers the impact of foreign interference on members of the Chinese Canadian community.
The Commission is being presided over by the Honourable Justice Marie-Josée Hogue of the Quebec Court of Appeal, who was appointed as Commissioner by the federal government. Her mandate includes examining and reporting on the extent to which foreign actors have interfered in recent federal elections and democratic institutions, and the effectiveness of Canada’s response.
This is a pivotal moment for Canadian democracy. The Commission’s work will shape how our institutions respond to covert influence, disinformation, and intimidation, and it must be informed by the voices of those most affected. We are proud to stand with the Concern Group in this important national process, and to support their efforts to promote transparency, accountability, and the protection of democratic rights for all Canadians.
Justice for Jared
Photo by Odette Auger
November 24, 2023
Chantler & Company represents the family of Jared Lowndes, a Wet’suwet’en man of the Laksilyu Clan, who was killed by members of the RCMP in Campbell River on July 8, 2021. A civil claim has been brought against BC’s Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General and four unnamed police officers. In October, 2023, the Independent Investigation Office of BC submitted a report to Crown Counsel for consideration of charges in respect of three of the officers. More information on Mr. Lowndes’ life and the tragic circumstances of his death can be found here: https://www.justiceforjared.org
Related media:
https://thetyee.ca/News/2021/07/14/Arrest-Warrant-Should-Not-Be-Death-Sentence/
Workplace Sexual Harassment
April 1, 2023
Chantler & Company is on the roster of lawyers for the Sexual Harassment Advice, Response, and Prevention for Workplaces project (“SHARP Workplaces”), which is managed by the Ending Violence Association of BC and Community Legal Assistance Society. SHARP Workplaces provides eligible employees with legal information and advice about workplace sexual harassment. More information on this valuable community program is available here: https://sharpworkplaces.org
Wrongful Death of Martin Payne
March 5, 2023
Chantler & Company represents the family of Martin Payne, was murdered in his home in 2019 by two inmates who had recently escaped the William Head Institution in Metchosin, BC. A civil claim has been filed against the Attorney General of Canada, the Correctional Service of Canada and the Wardens of two institutions alleging negligence in relation to this incident.
Related media:
https://globalnews.ca/news/9101339/martin-payne-murder-escaped-inmates-lawsuit/
COVID-19 and the Legal Profession
April 26, 2020
Neil Chantler provided commentary to Postmedia on the challenges faced by the legal profession in the era of COVID-19, and the importance of lawyers adopting new technology to keep the justice system functioning.
“Lawyers should be at the cutting edge of solutions that help our clients, not dragging our feet and clinging to old habits.”
Read the full article here:
Ian Mulgrew: Pandemic challenging legal practices (April 26, 2020, National Post)
Statement in Support of Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs
Photo by Irina Ceric
February 14, 2020
We stand in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs in defence of their unceded, ancestral lands. We condemn the use of heavy-handed police techniques and weaponry to forcibly remove the Wet’suwet’en people and land defenders from the Morice River Forest Service Road. We call on the governments of BC and Canada, the RCMP and Coastal GasLink Pipeline to respect the position taken by the Wet’suwet’en and to engage in meaningful consultation, in accordance with their obligations under Canadian and international law.
The Landing
May 1, 2019
We are pleased to announce that Chantler+Company has moved to new offices at The Landing, a landmark heritage building at the edge of Gastown, in downtown Vancouver.
Effective May 1, 2019, civil litigation services will be offered from our new address:
The Landing
Suite 650, 375 Water Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 5C6
Please update your records accordingly. All other contact information will remain the same.
New York Times v. AdvantageBC (BCSC)
May 9, 2017
Chantler+Company represented the New York Times in a petition seeking information about a secretive tax-incentive program operated by the Province of British Columbia through a society doing business as AdvantageBC.
Related media:
British Columbia’s Business Temptation: An Opaque Array of Tax Breaks (May 2, 2017, New York Times)
New York Times sues non-profit Advantage BC over tax program (May 9, 2017, Globe & Mail)
New York Times takes ‘secretive’ AdvantageBC society to court over financial statements disclosure refusal (May 9, 2017, Business in Vancouver)
Akintoye v. City of Vancouver et al. (BCSC)
February 20, 2017
Chantler+Company and Pivot Legal Society represented an individual who was assaulted by police in a case of mistaken identity. The case considered police powers on an investigative detention, and the circumstances that justify police use of force.
Related media:
Man who claims he was assaulted by Vancouver cops seeking substantial damages (Apr. 7, 2017, Vancouver Sun)
Surrey man testifies Vancouver cops assaulted, wrongfully arrested him (Feb. 20, 2017, Vancouver Sun)
Father seeks justice against Vancouver Police (Feb. 20, 2017, Pivot Legal)
Inquest into the death of Brandon Juhani Jansen (BC Coroner's Service)
January 26, 2017
Chantler+Company represented a party at the BC Coroner's Service Inquest into the death of Brandon Juhani Jansen, which examined drug policies, treatment options, and the ongoing fentanyl-overdose crisis. The Coroner's jury made 21 recommendations directed at the Province of BC, the health authorities, and several professional colleges.
Related media:
The Overdose Crisis: We Know How to Save Lives, Doctors Say (Jan. 27, 2017, Tyee)
B.C. acting on jury’s recommendations for drug addiction treatment (Jan. 26, 2017, Globe & Mail)
Coroner's inquest jury makes 21 recommendations to reduce fatal drug overdoses (Jan. 25, 2017, CBC)
Pinnacle Gaming Solutions Inc. v. BC Lottery Corporation et al. (BCSC)
May 1, 2016
Chantler+Company acted for a casino and gaming developer in a claim for damages against the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and the Province of British Columbia (Minister of Finance).
Related media:
Casino Developer Sue Lottery Corp. (Jan. 17, 2016, North Shore News)
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority v. Boon et al. (BCSC)
March 10, 2016
Chantler+Company acted for a defendant in an action brought by BC Hydro against individuals opposed to the controversial Site C Dam project, currently under construction on the Peace River in northeast British Columbia. In February, 2016, BC Hydro brought an injunction seeking to enjoin members of the public from occupying areas necessary for clearing trees. The project is being opposed on the basis of economic and environmental grounds and First Nations' treaty rights.
Related media:
Opponents call for Site C delay ahead of B.C. court case (Feb. 18, 2016, Globe & Mail)
BC Hydro seeks injunction against Site C protesters (Feb. 22, 2016, CBC)
B.C. Hydro's granted injunction infringes on Indigenous treaty rights (Mar. 3, 2016, rabble.ca)
Johnstone v. The Minister of Justice (BCSC)
April 15, 2015
Chantler+Company acted for the plaintiff in a claim against the RCMP (Minister of Justice) alleging police officers negligently permitted an international child abduction to occur. The case was covered by CBC's national news segment Go Public.
Related media:
RCMP negligent in parental abduction, father claims (February 16, 2015, CBC)
Father claims Aussie ex kidnapped baby out of Canada with police help (Feb. 17, 2015, 9News)
Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC v. Dutton et al. (BCSC)
February 15, 2015
Chantler+Company acted for defendants in a lawsuit and injunction application brought by Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC, a Canadian subsidiary of international oil company Kinder Morgan. The oil company sought to conduct drilling work on Burnaby Mountain, which lead to peaceful protests involving hundreds of people including students, professors, indigenous leaders and other community members. Trans Mountain discontinued the lawsuit in January 2015 and paid legal costs.
Related media:
Trans Mountain drops civil action against Burnaby Kinder Morgan protesters (Jan. 30, 2015, CBC)
Kinder Morgan loses bid to extend injunction (Nov. 27, 2014, CBC)
Burnaby residents ask court to toss out Kinder Morgan’s lawsuit (Nov. 7, 2014, Vancouver Observer)
Kinder Morgan takes pipeline protesters to court (Oct. 31, 2014, Global BC)
Judge rejects Burnaby’s injunction bid against Kinder Morgan (Sept. 17, 2014, Globe and Mail)
Trans Mountain Expansion Project (NEB)
February 15, 2015
Chantler+Company represented a Burnaby residents' group that had intervenor status at the National Energy Board's public hearings into the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMEP). The TMEP was a proposal by Kinder Morgan (now owned by the Government of Canada) to build a pipeline from Edmonton, AB to Burnaby, BC. It is being opposed by a number of municipalities, First Nations and residents' groups. The National Energy Board held hearings into the proposal from April, 2014 to February, 2016.
Related media:
B.C. demands disclosure on pipeline proposal (Jan. 21, 2015, Global News)
Former BC Hydro CEO pulls out of "biased" NEB Trans Mountain hearings (Nov. 4, 2014, Vancouver Sun)
Kinder Morgan skirting pipeline questions (Jul. 5, 2014, CBC)
Inquest into the death of Lucîa Vega Jiménez (BC Coroner's Service)
October 8, 2014
Chantler+Company represented the BC Civil Liberties Association as an intervenor at the BC Coroner's Inquest into the death of Lucia Vega Jimenez, who died while in the custody of the Canadian Border Services Agency in holding cells at Vancouver International Airport.
Related media:
Jury recommendations in case of Lucia Jimenez include self-harm proofing of bathrooms (Oct. 8, 2014, Global News)
Inquest hears about Lucia Vega Jimenez’s final hours (Oct. 3, 2014, Global News)
Mexican woman who hanged herself showed no distress over deportation: inquest (Sept. 30, 2014, CTV News)
Wrongful Death Claims–Missing and Murdered Women (BCSC)
April 1, 2014
Chantler+Company represents a number of men and women whose mothers were victims of convicted serial murderer Robert W. Pickton. Civil claims against the municipal, provincial and federal governments were resolved out of court in mid-2014 for approximately $4.9 million, while claims against two individual defendants are ongoing.
Related media:
Pickton's victims' children eligible to share $4.9 million in compensation (March 18, 2014, CTV News)
Families of Four Pickton Victims File Sweeping Lawsuit (May 9, 2013, The Tyee)
Compensating children of missing B.C. women is complicated: Oppal (Dec. 19, 2012, Globe and Mail)
Blanketing Ceremony to Honour Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls
June 6, 2012
Neil Chantler had the distinct privilege of participating in a blanketing ceremony honouring missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls following the conclusion of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry in June, 2012. Neil was co-counsel for 26 families of murdered and missing women and girls at the Inquiry, which held 9 months of hearings in 2011-2012 and resulted in a comprehensive multi-volume report. The executive summary of that report, entitled Forsaken, is available here.