Ontario Courts Use the JVTA Against Iran
Canadian families of Flight PS752 victims launched several successful lawsuits under the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act (JVTA). Ontario courts ruled the shooting down of the flight was an act of terrorism, awarding $249 million in judgments.
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Building on legal tools for victims, Secure Canada is also responsible for an amendment to Ontario’s Limitations Act that lifts the two-year limitation period for lawsuits launched by terror victims under the JVTA.
"The victims' families sued Iran, its supreme leader, and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) among others, arguing they are responsible for an act of terrorism and the harm and losses the families suffered." (CBC News · Aug 01, 2023)
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On May 20, 2021, the Ontario Superior Court ruled that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intentionally shot down Flight PS752, killing 176 people. The court found, on a balance of probabilities, that the attack was deliberate and constitutes an act of terrorism under the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act.
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In January 2022, the court awarded $107 million in damages to the families of six Canadian victims.
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In 2022, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice awarded more than $142 million in damages to the families of eight people who died in the attack. ​
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