Investment Canada Act

Marginal note:Application for court order

• 40 (1) If a non-Canadian or any other person or entity fails to comply with a demand under section 39, an application on behalf of the Minister may be made to a superior court for an order under subsection (2) or (2.1).

• Marginal note:Court orders

  (2) If, at the conclusion of the hearing on an application referred to in subsection (1), the superior court decides that the Minister was justified in sending a demand to the non-Canadian or other person or entity under section 39 and that the non-Canadian or other person or entity has failed to comply with the demand, the court may make any order or orders as, in its opinion, the circumstances require, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, an order

  • (a) directing the non-Canadian to divest themselves of control of the Canadian business, or to divest themselves of their investment in the entity, on any terms and conditions that the court considers just and reasonable;

  • (b) enjoining the non-Canadian from taking any action specified in the order in relation to the investment that might prejudice the ability of a superior court, on a subsequent application for an order under paragraph (a), to effectively accomplish the end of such an order;

  • (c) directing the non-Canadian to comply with a written undertaking given to Her Majesty in right of Canada in relation to an investment that the Minister is satisfied or is deemed to be satisfied is likely to be of net benefit to Canada;

  • (c.1) directing the non-Canadian to comply with a written undertaking given to Her Majesty in right of Canada in accordance with an order made under section 25.4;

  • (d) against the non-Canadian imposing a penalty not exceeding ten thousand dollars for each day the non-Canadian is in contravention of this Act or any provision thereof;

  • (e) directing the revocation, or suspension for any period specified in the order, of any rights attached to any voting interests acquired by the non-Canadian or of any right to control any such rights;

  • (f) directing the disposition by any non-Canadian of any voting interests acquired by the non-Canadian or of any assets acquired by the non-Canadian that are or were used in carrying on a Canadian business; or

  • (g) directing the non-Canadian or other person or entity to provide information requested by the Minister or Director.

• Marginal note:Court orders — person or entity

  (2.1) If, at the conclusion of the hearing on an application referred to in subsection (1), the superior court decides that the Minister was justified in sending a demand to a person or an entity under section 39 and that the person or entity has failed to comply with it, the court may make any order or orders that, in its opinion, the circumstances require, including an order against the person or entity imposing a penalty not exceeding the greater of $25,000 and any prescribed amount for each day of the contravention.

• Marginal note:Penalties recoverable as debts

  (3) A penalty imposed by an order made under paragraph (2)(d) or subsection (2.1) is a debt due to Her Majesty in right of Canada and is recoverable as such in a superior court.

• Marginal note:Contempt of court

  (4) Everyone who fails or refuses to comply with an order made by a superior court under subsection (2) or (2.1) that is directed to them may be cited and punished by the court that made the order, as for other contempts of that court.

• Marginal note:Rights of appeal

  (5) For greater certainty, all rights of appeal provided by law apply in the case of any decision or order made by a superior court under this section, as in the case of other decisions or orders made by that court.

• Marginal note:Definition of superior court

  (6) In this section, superior court has the same meaning as in subsection 35(1) of the Interpretation Act  but does not include the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal or the Tax Court of Canada.