We are writing about a tort that can be fairly useful in a commercial law context. Wrongful Interference with Economic Relations was described by the Ontario Court of Appeal in Canadian Community Reading Plan Inc. v. Quality Service Programs Inc. 2001 CarswellOnt 174, where the court said at paragraph 30:
The tort of wrongful interference with economic relations has three components: an intention to injure the plaintiff, interference with another's method of gaining his or her living or business by illegal means, and economic loss caused thereby...
This case involved a magazine publisher allegedly driven out of business in the school magazine fundraising market by its competitor. In this case the illegal means was found to be either the common law tort of conspiracy or a conspiracy to lessen Competition under the Competition Act. So there are a number of ways of framing this issue.
If you believe you have been affected by this or any other tort, please feel free to contact us.
The information contained in this article is not legal advice. No solicitor client relationship is formed through this article. The reader is encouraged to retain counsel for advice in these matters.
