[2][3] In 1912, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in Weidman v Shragge that the purpose of the anti-combines provisions in the Criminal Code was to protect public interest in free competition.
[4] The anti-trust provisions incorporated into the Criminal Code in 1891 would remain until 1960 with an amendment to the Combines Investigation Act.
[1] In April 1996, a set of amendments to the Competition Act was introduced into Parliament, but died on the Order Paper.
The Tribunal could also hear references filed pursuant to section 124.2 of the Competition Act and award costs of proceedings before it.
As a result, only two criminal-offence provisions exist in the Competition Act: conspiracy and bid-rigging, which are illegal per se.
[1] The Competition Act defines a "merger" as the acquisition or establishment—whether by purchase or lease of shares or assets, or by amalgamation, combination or otherwise—of control over or a significant interest in all or part of a business.