This web page was maintained by Karl Dore, and it was last modified approximately on June 5, 2006. There are no plans to update it further.

Background Materials:
The Law Reform Reports

• First Report

• Second Report

• Third Report

First Report of the Consumer Protection Project:

Consumer Guarantees in the Sale or Supply of Goods 

• Preface 6

• CHAPTER I
  The Seller's Responsibilities For What He Says: Express Terms 9

1. • 1. Introduction 10

1. • 2. Problems in the Present Law 12

1. • 3. Promises 13

1. • • (a) Parol Evidence Rule 13
     • (b) "No Authority" Clauses 21

1. • 4. Representations of Fact 21

1. • • (a) Present Law 21
     • (b) Reform in Other Jurisdictions 27

1. • • • (i) England 28
       • (ii) Australia 30
       • (iii) New Zealand 30
       • (iv) United States 31
       • (v) Canada 34

1. • • • • a. Manitoba 34
         • b. Quebec 35
         • c. Ontario 36
         • d. Saskatchewan 37
         • e. Federal Legislation 38

1. • • (c) Our Views and Recommendations 40

1. • 5. Opinions 53

1. • 6. Advertising 54

1. • 7. Labels, etc. 55

1. • 8. Recommendations 56

• CHAPTER II
  The Seller's Responsibilities in the Absence of Express Statements: Implied Terms as to Title, Quality and Fitness 59

• • 1. Title, Quiet Possession and Freedom From Encumbrances 60

• • • (a) Present Law 60
    • (b) The Wording of Section 13 62
    • (c) Exclusion of Section 13 64
    • (d) Remedies for Breach of Section 13 67
    • (e) Nemo Dat and the Registry System 69

• • 2. Merchantability (or Quality) 69

• • • (a) Present Law 69
    • (b) When Merchantability Applies 73

• • • • (i) Sales by Description 73
      • (ii) Dealers 77
      • (iii) Used Goods 78

• • • (c) What Merchantability Covers 80

• • • • (i) Multipurpose Goods 80
      • (ii) Durability 82
      • (iii) Spare Parts and Servicing 84

• • • (d) What Merchantability Does Not Cover 87

• • 3. Fitness for Purpose 90

• • • (a) Present Law 90
    • (b) Reform 93

• • • • (i) Normal Purpose 94
      • (ii) Reliance 94

• • • • • a. Proviso 94
        • b. Onus of Proof 95

• • • • (iii) Other Changes 96

• • 4. Sales by Sample 96

• • 5. Recommendations 99

• CHAPTER III
  The Consumer's Rights and Remedies for Breach by the Seller of His Responsibilities: Remedies for Breach of the Terms of the Contract 106

• • 1. Present Law 108

• • 2. Problems in the Law 111

• • • (a) The Conflicting Interests of the Parties 111
    • (b) When the Buyer Has the Right to Cancel 113
    • (c) When the Buyer Loses the Right to Cancel 114

• • 3. Reform in Other Jurisdictions 119

• • • (a) England 119
    • (b) New Zealand 121
    • (c) Australia 121
    • (d) United States 122
    • (e) Canada 125

• • 4. Conclusions and Recommendations 126

• • 5. Recommendations 133

• CHAPTER IV
  Regulation of Attempts by the Seller to Avoid or Limit the Responsibilities that the Law Would Otherwise Impose on Him: Contracting Out of the Terms of the Contract or Remedies for their Breach 138

• • 1. Implied Terms 139

• • • (a) Present Law 139
    • (b) Our Proposals and Reasoning 141
    • (c) Other Approaches 151

• • • • (i) The Present Judicial Approach 151
      • (ii) Clear Notice 156
      • (iii) Unconscionability (Or a Fairness and Reasonableness Control) 158
      • (iv) Administrative Control 169
      • (v) Some Limitation Allowed 170

• • • • • a. Type of Implied Term 171
        • b. Type of Goods 173
        • c. Type of Liability 175
        • d. Others 176

• • 2. Express Terms 177

• • • (a) Contracting Out of the Statutory Express Terms 177
    • (b) Contracting Out of Remedies 179

• • • • (i) No Limitation Allowed 186

• • • • • a. Ontario 186
        • b. Manitoba 189
        • c. United States 189

• • • • (ii) Some Limitation Allowed 190

• • 3. Recommendations 191

• CHAPTER V
  Scope of the Consumer Protection Legislation 196

• • 1. Transactions Covered by the Consumer Protection Legislation 197

• • • (a) Type of Seller 198
    • (b) Type of Buyer 199
    • (c) Type of Goods 203
    • (d) Type of Transaction 203

• • 2. Making Consumers Aware of Their Rights 204

• • 3. Recommendations 207

• CHAPTER VI
  General Summary of Main Recommendations 212

Second Report of the Consumer Protection Project:

Consumer Guarantees for Automobiles and Mobile Homes

• Letter of Transmittal 2

• CHAPTER I
  General Summary of Main Recommendations 3

• CHAPTER II
  Automobiles 25

• • 1. Introduction 26

• • 2. Safety-Related Defects 28

• • • (a) Motor Vehicle Safety Act 29
    • (b) New Brunswick's Safety Legislation 31

• • 3. Non-Safety-Related Defects 40

• • • (a) Some Fundamental Problems 40
    • (b) Standards Approach 44
    • (c) Disclosure Approach 48
    • (d) Reactions to These Approaches 57
    • (e) Our Views and Recommendations 60

• • • • (i) Used Automobiles 62
      • (ii) New Automobiles 72

• CHAPTER III
  Mobile Homes 74

• • 1. Introduction 75

• • 2. Used Mobile Homes 77

• • 3. New Mobile Homes 78

• Appendix 80

Third Report of the Consumer Protection Project:

Volume I: Sale of Goods (Concluded)

• Letter of Transmittal vii

• CHAPTER II
  Sale of Goods (Concluded) 96

• • 1. Introduction 97

• • 2. The Dealer's Rights Against His Supplier 98

• • • (a) Present Law 98
    • (b) Recommendations of First Report 99
    • (c) Terms 114
    • (d) Remedies 116
    • (e) Contracting Out 117

• • 3. Privity of Contract 131

• • • (a) Present Law 132

• • • • (i) Contracts 132
      • (ii) Torts 134

• • • (b) Some Criticisms of the Present Law 139

• • • (c) Reform in Other Jurisdictions 141

• • • • (i) United States 141
      • (ii) Canada 150

• • • • • a. Ontario 150
        • b. Saskatchewan 156

• • • • (iii) United Kingdom 156
      • (iv) New Zealand 157

• • • (d) Our Views and Recommendations 162

• • • • (i) Contracts 163

• • • • • a. Why an extended contract right? 165
        • b. Kind and extent of liability 168
        • c. The persons protected 172
        • d. The persons responsible 173

• • • • (ii) Torts 173

• • 4. Extra-Provincial Suppliers 175

• • • (a) Limitations on New Brunswick's Legislative Powers 176
    • (b) Enforcement of New Brunswick's Laws 192

• • 5. Recommendations 195