- Parties: The appellant was the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. The respondent was the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.

- Subject Matter: The respondent alleged that the appellant was in contempt of court for failing to comply with a labour arbitration award registered with the Federal Court. The Federal Court agreed with the respondent and found the appellant in contempt for some of the alleged violations. The appellant challenged the Federal Court’s decision.

- Ruling: The appeal court ruled in the appellant’s favour, allowed the appeal, entered an acquittal, set aside the contempt finding, and substituted a decision dismissing the contempt motion. The appeal court held that the Federal Court misdirected itself on the law of civil contempt. The appeal court explained that the Federal Court erred in finding contempt in the absence of intent, which effectively treated contempt as a strict or absolute liability offence, and erred in jettisoning the directing mind principle (which guided the inquiry into the guilt or responsibility of a corporation facing quasi-criminal or criminal charges) and in excluding due diligence or reasonable efforts defences from the contempt analysis. The Federal Court’s findings went against established case law, including that of the Supreme Court of Canada, the appeal court said.

- Date: The hearing was set on Apr. 17, 2024. The court released its decision on Aug. 23, 2024.

- Venue: This was a federal case before the Federal Court of Appeal.

- Amount: The appeal court awarded the appellant costs in this court and in the court below.