What’s New: In Brief (January 18, 2008)

John Joseph London, 38, faces fraud charges in Toronto after an investigation into an alleged insurance scam.
London, of Richmond Hill, ON, is charged with fraud under Cdn$5,000, falsification of books or documents, writing a forged document and selling/giving/distributing a false insurance card, according to a release from the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO).
London is not licensed to sell insurance in the Province of Ontario.

The Manitoba Court of Appeal in December rejected allegations that the Automobile Injury Compensation Appeal Commission was biased against Henry Bougie because one or more of the commission’s members was associated with the counsel for Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI).
Bougie sought leave to appeal a decision in favour of MPI, and against him, on the grounds being that the commission did not take into consideration all of the information he provided to it and that there existed an apprehension of bias on behalf of the commission.
The Appeal Court rejected Bougie’s assertion that a member of the commission was a friend of the counsel representing MPI.
In an unusual move, a lawyer representing MPI before the commission submitted an affidavit to the court maintaining that he did not lunch with members of the commission, did not discuss having a reunion or getting together with a member of the commission, and that while he did know the commission’s deputy chief commissioner, they did not socialize.
The court found Bougie’s assertion about the relationship was groundless and without merit. The application for leave to appeal was dismissed.