Martel Building Ltd v Canada: 30 Nov 2000

Canlii Supreme Court of Canada – Torts – Negligence – Economic loss – Whether Canadian law recognizes duty of care on parties in commercial negotiations – Whether tort of negligence extends to damages for pure economic loss arising out of conduct of pre-contractual negotiations.
Torts – Negligence – Economic loss – Whether tender-calling authority owed duty of care to bidders in drafting tender specifications – Whether sphere of recovery for pure economic loss should be extended to cover circumstances surrounding preparation of tender specifications.
Contracts – Tenders – Obligation to treat all bidders fairly – Whether tender-calling authority breached its implied contractual duty to treat all bidders fairly and equally – If so, whether bidder’s loss caused by contractual breach.
The prospect of causing deprivation by economic loss is implicit in the negotiating environment

Judges:

McLachlin CJ, Gonthier, Iacobucci, Major, Bastarache, Binnie and Arbour JJ

Citations:

2000 SCC 60, [2000] 2 SCR 860

Links:

Canlii

Cited by:

CitedCramaso Llp v Ogilvie-Grant, Earl of Seafield and Others SC 12-Feb-2014
The defenders owned a substantial grouse moor in Scotland. There had been difficulties with grouse stocks, and steps taken over years to allow stocks to recover. They had responded to enquiries from one Mr Erskine with misleading figures. Mr Erskine . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Commonwealth, Contract, Negligence, Damages

Updated: 04 May 2022; Ref: scu.537023