Interest awarded on a retroactive award of back pay by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal did not represent interest on a "debt obligation" as the debt was not acknowledged by the employer (the government) until the time of the award. Webb J noted (at para. 11):
In Blacks Law Dictionary, 8th ed. a "debt" is defined as a "liability on a claim; a specific sum of money due by agreement or otherwise" and "obligation" is defined as "A formal, binding agreement or acknowledgment of a liability to pay a certain sum or do a certain thing for a particular person or set of persons".