Manitoba Law Reform Commission

Current Projects

Judicial Review

The Commission is conducting a broad review of the administrative state in Manitoba, with a particular focus on the processes and procedures surrounding judicial review of administrative tribunal decisions. The project will proceed in a phased approach and consider issues such as the procedure on judicial review, whether there should be a statutory framework for substantive review in judicial review and statutory appeals, and internal tribunal processes.

Trustee Act Review

The Trustee Act is a piece of legislation in Manitoba that provides enabling powers to trustees to allow for the efficient administration of trusts with minimal court involvement where trustees have not been given adequate powers to administer the trust within the trust instrument itself. This legislation has not undergone a comprehensive review for a significant time and has been criticized for not keeping pace with modern trust practices. The Commission is conducting a broad review of the Trustee Act with a view to modernization. In conducting this review the Commission will consider recommendations made by the Uniform Law Conference of Canada in regard to trustee legislation and whether modifications to the recommendations are required to meet Manitoba’s particular needs.

Representation Agreements

A representation agreement is a document that can be used by a person who experiences challenges in making decisions to grant legal authority to another person to support them in their decision-making process and in communicating their decisions to others. This form of arrangement can also be called a supported or assisted decision-making arrangement. The Commission will consider whether Manitoba should provide for these types of arrangements within legislation, and if so, who should be able to use one, what sort of decisions should be included and what that legislation should look like.