Faculty of Law

Darcy MacPherson

Biography

Darcy MacPherson became a full professor at Robson Hall Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba in March, 2017, having taught in the Faculty since July, 2002. Prior to that (2001-2002), he was an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario. From 1997 to 2000, he was first a student-at-law and then an associate lawyer at what was then known as Tory, Tory, DesLauriers and Binnington (now Torys LLP). He completed his Bachelor of Laws at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1997, and a Masters of Law with First-Class honours from the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom (Class of 2001), with a Commercial concentration.

As a student, he held one of only two Rt. Honourable Paul Martin Scholarships awarded by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies in 2000, among others. Currently, he is in the Research Director of the Marcel A. Desautels Centre for Private Enterprise and the Law, and is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Manitoba Law Journal. Active in the academic community, he twice served as an elected Senator on the University of Manitoba Senate.

Prof. MacPherson has coached moot teams for four different competitions: the Gale Cup (in criminal/constitutional matters) (2003-2005), the Laskin Moot (in administrative and constitutional law) (2005-2008), and the Corporate/Securities Law Moot (2008-present); and the Donald GH Bowman National Tax Moot (2018-present).

He is also the Faculty Advisor for the Manitoba Court of Appeal Clerkship Program (2004-present), the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Clerkship Program (2011-present) and the Manitoba Provincial Court Clerkship (2018-present) where students serve as clerks to the Judges of courts for credit.

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Research Areas

    • Disability rights
    • corporate criminal liability
    • corporate law
    • administrative law
    • Agency and Partnerships
    • Commercial Law
    • Constitutional Law
    • Contracts
    • Corporations
    • Criminal Law and Procedure

Selected Publications

Books

  • Cameron Harvey and Darcy MacPherson, Agency and Partnership Law Primer, 6th edition (Toronto: Thomson Reuters Canada Limited, 2024)
  • Darcy MacPherson and Sunita Doobay, 2014 Annotated Ontario Partnerships Act (Toronto: Carswell, 2014)

Chapters in Edited Collections

  • Michelle Gallant and Darcy L. MacPherson “Income from Business or Property” in T. Edgar, A. Cockfield, and M. O’Brien, eds., Materials on Canadian Income Tax, 15th ed. (Toronto:  Carswell, 2015) at 291-408
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “Trusts in Corporate and Commercial Law” in M. Gillen and F. Woodman, eds., The Law of Trusts – A Contextual Approach, 3rd ed. (Toronto:  Emond-Montgomery Publications, 2015), at 647-702
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “Practical Educational Opportunities In The Tenure Process:  One Professor’s Experience” in E.G. Ralph, K.D. Walker and R. Wimmer, eds., The Practicum in Professional Education:  Canadian Perspectives (Calgary:  Detselig Enterprises Ltd., 2010) at 157-171
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “A Legal Strategy Case Study:  Trusts In Securitization” in A. Masson and M. Shariff, eds., Legal Strategies: How Corporations Use Law to Improve Performance (Springer, 2010), at 267-275
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “Strategic Planning To Avoid Organizational Criminal Liability:  A Canadian Perspective” in A. Masson and M. Shariff, eds,. Legal Strategies: How Corporations Use Law to Improve Performance, (Springer, 2010), at 225-245
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “Trusts in Corporate and Commercial Law” in M. Gillen and F. Woodman, eds., The Law of Trusts – A Contextual Approach (2nd ed.) (Emond-Montgomery Publications, 2008)
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “Reforming the Doctrine of Attribution: A Canadian Solution to British Concerns?” in S. Tully, ed., Research Handbook on Corporate Legal Responsibility (London: Edward Elgar, 2005), at 194-214
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “Damage Quantification in Tort and Pre-Existing Conditions: Arguments for a Re-Conceptualization” in D. Pothier and R. Devlin, eds., Critical Disability Theory: Essays on Philosophy, Politics, Policy and Law (UBC Press, 2005) at 248-266

Journal Articles

  • Darcy L. MacPherson and Edward D. (Ned) Brown, “‘Billy, Don’t You Lose My Number’: Law Reform with Respect to the Serial Numbered Goods Regime under the Manitoba PPSA” (2013), 37(1) Manitoba Law Journal 267-321
  • Sunita D. Doobay and Darcy L. MacPherson, “‘Parliament, We Don’t Need No Stinking Parliament’ – A Comment on Sheldon Inwentash and Lynn Factor Charitable Foundation v The Queen” (2013), 9 Underneath the Golden Boy  (Volume 36(2) Manitoba Law Journal) 63-76
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “Subsections 43(7) and 43(8) of the PPSA:  Arguments In Favour Of Technical Amendments” (2013), 9 Underneath the Golden Boy  (Volume 36(2) Manitoba Law Journal) 41-61
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “‘I Wish the Supreme Court Thought More Like Dianne’: A Comment on Krangle v Brisco” (2013), 25 Can. J. of Women and the Law 128-147
  • Darcy L. MacPherson and Edward D. (Ned) Brown, “An All-Terrain Vehicle under the PPSA and its Regulation: A Comment on Houle v. Meyers, Norris, Penny Ltd. (2012), Volume 8 of Underneath the Golden Boy (35(2) Manitoba Law Journal) 107-133
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “Law Reform in Corporate/Commercial Law in Manitoba:  Pre-Incorporation Transactions – Part I” (2012), Volume 8 of Underneath the Golden Boy(35(2) Manitoba Law Journal) 49-83
  • Darcy L. MacPherson and Edward D. (Ned) Brown, “Fraud and Knowledge of a Pre-Existing Security Interest under the Personal Property Security Act:  Guidance for Manitoba Courts and Practitioners from Other Jurisdictions” (2011), 35(1) Manitoba Law Journal 201-216
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “Financial Leasing in Common Law Canada” as part of a Report on Financial Leasing and its Unification by UNIDROIT, prepared for the 18th International Congress of Comparative Law (2011), Volume XVI, Issues 1 and 2, Uniform Law Review 83-180
  • Yude M. Henteleff, Mary J. Shariff and Darcy L. MacPherson, “Palliative Care: An Enforceable Human Right?”  (2011), 5(1) McGill Journal Law and Health 107-160
  • Mary J. Shariff and Darcy L. MacPherson, “The Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune:  Can You ‘Lose’ The Lottery But Still Win?” (2011), 48 Alberta Law Review 631-678
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “Criminal Liability of Partnerships:  Constitutional and Practical Impediments” (2010), 33 Manitoba Law Journal 329-390
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “The Legislature Strikes Back:  The Effect of Ontario’s Bill 152 on the Beneficiaries of the Statutory Duty of Care in the Peoples Decision” (2009), 47 Alberta Law Review 37-72
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “The Civil and Criminal Applications of the Identification Doctrine: Arguments For Harmonization” (2007), 45 Alberta Law Review 171
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “The Supreme Court Restates Directors’ Fiduciary Duty – A Comment on Peoples Department Stores Inc. v. Wise”, (2005), 43 Alberta Law Review 383
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “Extending Corporate Criminal Liability?: Some Thoughts on Bill C-45” (2004), 30 Manitoba Law Journal 253
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “The Relevance of Prior Record in the Criminal Law: A Response to the Theory of Professor von Hirsch” (2002), 28 Queens L.J. 177

Publications for the Profession

  • Darcy L. MacPherson and Sunita Doobay, “Piercing the Corporate Veil – Part II”Privately-Held Companies & Taxes Newsletter (TaxNetPro, February 2017), at 2-11
  • Darcy L. MacPherson and Sunita Doobay, “Tax Amounts under Appeal at the T.C.C. Are Not Included in the Definition of “Personal Income Tax Debt” under the Bankruptcy And Insolvency Act Privately-Held Companies & Taxes Newsletter (TaxNetPro, September 2016), at 1-7
  • Darcy L. MacPherson and Sunita Doobay, “Piercing the Corporate Veil – Part I”Privately-Held Companies & Taxes Newsletter (TaxNetPro, October 2013), at 2-11, and 21-24
  • Sunita Doobay and Darcy L. MacPherson, “‘Including GST’ Does Not Mean GST Included” Canadian Tax Highlights, (a publication of the Canadian Tax Foundation) Volume 21, No. 9 (September, 2013), at 14
  • Sunita Doobay and Darcy L. MacPherson, “Guindon Penalty Upheld” Canadian Tax Highlights, (a publication of the Canadian Tax Foundation) Volume 21, No. 7 (July, 2013), at 8-9
  • Sunita Doobay and Darcy L. MacPherson, “Intent in Service Contracts” Canadian Tax Highlights, (a publication of the Canadian Tax Foundation) Volume 21, No. 5 (May, 2013), at 5-6
  • Sunita Doobay and Darcy L. MacPherson, “Ten-Plus Years to Enactment” Canadian Tax Highlights, (a publication of the Canadian Tax Foundation) Volume 21, No. 2 (February, 2013), at 4-5
  • Sunita Doobay and Darcy L. MacPherson, “Criminal Liability for Partnerships?”Canadian Tax Highlights, (a publication of the Canadian Tax Foundation) Volume 21, No. 1 (January, 2013), at 6-7
  • Sunita Doobay and Darcy L. MacPherson, “Should There Be A Judicially-Created Due Diligence Defence On The Reporting Of Significant Foreign Property? (TaxNetPro, May 2012)
  • Sunita Doobay and Darcy L. MacPherson, “Craig and Stare Decisis” Canadian Tax Highlights, (a publication of the Canadian Tax Foundation) Volume 20, No. 2 (February, 2012), at 2-3
  • Sunita Doobay and Darcy L. MacPherson, “Gunn & Craig – Hobbies, Farms and Stare Decisis” (TaxNetPro and The Tax Practitioners’ Forum, January 2012) at 1-4

Cases and Other Commentary

  • Darcy L. MacPherson and John Pozios, “Liability of Canadian Corporations for the Actions of Subsidiaries Elsewhere: A Comment on Choc v. Hudbay Minerals Inc. (2014), 8 CCLT 103-118
  • Sunita Doobay and Darcy L. MacPherson, “Can a Charitable Foundation With a Single Trustee Be Designated as a Public Foundation? – A Comment on Sheldon Inwentash and Lynn Factor Charitable Foundation v The Queen” 60(4) Canadian Tax Journal 917-923
  • “Hickman Equipment (1985) Ltd. (Receivership), Re – Annotation” (2006), 41 Canadian Cases on the Law of Torts (3rd) 260-267
  • “Hart Building Supplies Ltd. v. Deloitte & Touche – Annotation” (2006), 41 Canadian Cases on the Law of Torts (3rd) 240-248
  • “The B.C. Tobacco Legislation Litigation – A Comment on the Papers of Professors Edinger and Eliott” (2005), 41 Canadian Business Law Journal 386
  • “Emaciating the Statutory Audit – A Comment on Hart Building Supplies Ltd. v. Deloitte & Touche” (2005), 41 Canadian Business Law Journal 471

Review Essays and Book Review

  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “A Walking Contradiction:  A Review of Canadian Maverick:  The Life and Times of Ivan C. Rand” (2017), 40(1) Manitoba Law Journal 172-184
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “Disability Through the Eyes of the Law:  A Review of Federalism, Democracy and Disability Policy In Canada” (2009), 33 Manitoba Law Journal 197-209
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “A Judicial Loudmouth with A Quiet Legacy: A Review of Emmett Hall: Establishment Radical” (2008), 32 Manitoba Law Journal 182
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “The More Things Change … A Review of The Company: A Short History of a Revolutionary Idea” (2005), 31 Manitoba Law Journal 377
  • Darcy L. MacPherson, “Companies Gone Wild – A Review of The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power” (2005), 31 Manitoba Law Journal 201

Community Involvement

  • President, Canadian Centre on Disability Studies, a consumer-directed, university affiliated centre dedicated to research, education and information dissemination on disability issues.
  • Chair of the Board of CCDS, as well as chair of both its Governance and Endowment Monitoring and Enhancement Committees.
  • Member of the International Committee of CCDS, and Chair of the Steering Committee of a CCDS project entitled Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities in Ukraine, a project of over $4 million, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency.
  • Past President of the Canadian Disability Studies Association, an academic association dedicated to research in the area of disability studies.
  • Academic Advisor to the Women’s Basketball Program at the University of Manitoba.
  • Member of numerous Faculty and University committees.

Awards

  • Students’ Teacher Recognition Award (CATL) – 2012
  • University of Manitoba Annual Outreach Award – 2010/11