Bill 57 And Amendments To The Construction Act

The Construction Lien Amendment Act was passed in December 2017 and substantively changed the Construction Lien Act. Its primary purposes were to: (i) modernize the existing Construction Lien Act; (ii) provide prompt payment legislation throughout Ontario; and (iii) introduce adjudication provisions for disputes arising in the course of a contract. The first set of changes regarding the modernization provisions came into effect on July 1, 2018. The remaining changes relating to prompt payment and adjudication are scheduled to come into force on October 1, 2019. For further information on the Act, see our June 20, 2018 Update, Construction Act: Here We Go!

On December 6, 2018, Bill 57, Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018 ("Bill 57") received Royal Assent by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Bill 57 was introduced in November, with the hope of clarifying certain ambiguities in the Construction Act (the "Act").

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