Bell Canada Prison Calls
This case alleges that the defendant breached Ontario consumer protection and other laws by extracting exorbitant fees from individuals placing and accepting telephone calls from correctional facilities in Ontario since 2013.
The defendant is the exclusive provider of telephone services for incarcerated persons in Ontario correctional facilities. The defendant charged unconscionable telephone service rates and made misrepresentations concerning the cost of telephone calls placed from correctional facilities in Ontario.
The Court will decide at a later date if the case will proceed as a class action.
The case seeks to represent all persons currently or formerly incarcerated in an Ontario correctional facility and all persons in Canada who accepted and paid for a collect call originating from a person incarcerated in an Ontario correctional facility.
- May 2, 2023: The Court of Appeal partially granted the plaintiffs’ appeal and changed the lower court’s permanent stay of this class action with a temporary stay subject to certain steps to be first taken before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The plaintiffs are contemplating next steps. You can find a copy of the Court of Appeal’s decision here.
- February 21, 2023: The appeal was heard on February 21, 2023. The decision is under reserve by the Court of Appeal.
- April 26, 2022: The Superior Court of Justice dismissed and permanently stayed the plaintiffs’ action on jurisdictional grounds. You can find a copy of the decision here. The plaintiffs have appealed that decision.
- August 25, 2021: The plaintiffs issued their Amended Fresh as Amended Statement of Claim.
- June 30, 2021: Bell Canada served its certification and jurisdiction motion materials.
- June 30, 2021: The Ontario Government served its certification motion materials and its jurisdiction motion.
- April 23, 2021: Certification motion will be held on December 7-8, 2021. Details of the hearing will be posted here.
- January 6, 2021: The plaintiffs served their certification motion record.
- July 24, 2020: The Superior Court of Justice allowed plaintiffs to amend their statement of claim. The Province of Ontario was added as a defendant to the lawsuit in the Amended Fresh Statement of Claim.
- February 5, 2020: Plaintiff issues Statement of Claim in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
- Decision of Court of Appeal (May 2, 2023)
- Amended Fresh as Amended Statement of Claim (August 25, 2021)
- Responding and Cross-Motion Record of Bell Canada (June 30, 2021)
- Cross-Motion Record of Ontario (June 30, 2021)
- Responding Motion Record of Ontario (June 30, 2021)
- Plaintiffs’ Reply Motion Record (July 15, 2021)
- Responding and Cross-Motion Record (June 30, 2021)
- Cross-Motion of Defendant (June 30, 2021)
- Responding Motion of Defendant (June 30, 2021)
- Motion Record (Certification) (January 6, 2021)
- Amended Fresh Statement of Claim (July 24, 2020)
- Statement of Claim (February 5, 2020)
