What is a Fiduciary?
The term “fiduciary” is not well understood by the average citizen.
It was probably best stated in the simple terms of the following:
” If one person undertakes to act in relation to a particular matter in the interests of another, and has been entrusted with a power of discretion to affect the other’s interests, in a legal or practical sense, so that the other is in a position of vulnerability, then a fiduciary duty exists.”
Williams Lake Indian Band v. Abbey (1992), 1992 CarswellBC 1067, [1992] 4 C.N.L.R. 21, K12,13,SkippJ.(B.C. S.C.)
Other noted comments on the definition are:
“where by statute, agreement, or perhaps by unilateral undertaking, one party has an
obligation to act for the benefit of another, and that obligation carries with it a discretionary
power, the party thus empowered becomes a fiduciary. Equity will then supervise the
relationship by holding him to the fiduciary’s strict standard of conduct.”
Guerin v. R. (1984), 36 R.P.R. 1, 20 E.T.R. 6, [1985] 1 C.N.L.R. 120, 55 N.R. 161,13 D.L.R. (4th) 321, [1984] 2 S.C.R. 335, [1984] 6 W.W.R. 481, [1984] S.CJ. No. 45,1984 CarswellNat 813,1984 CarswellNat 693, 59 B.C.L.R. 301, f98, Dickson J. (Beetz, Chouinard and Lamer J J. concurring) (S.C.C.)
[In Guerin v. ft, [1985] 1 C.N.L.R. 120 (S.C.C.)] … Dickson J. writing for the majority stated at [p. 137] … that:
… where by statute, agreement, or perhaps by unilateral undertaking, one party has an obligation to act for the benefit of another, and that obligation carries with it a discretionary power, the party thus empowered becomes a fiduciary.
Desjarlais v. Canada (Minister of Indian Affairs & Northern Development) (1988), 1988 CarswellNat 184, [1988] 2 C.N.L.R. 62,18 F.T.R. 316, f9, Strayer J. (Fed. T.D.)
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