Bulletins

SUPREME COURT                                                                                             COUR SUPRÊME

OF CANADA                                                                                             DU CANADA   

          BULLETIN  OF                                  BULLETIN DES

           PROCEEDINGS                                   PROCÉDURES

September 11, 1998                                               1208 - 1274 (Special - Motions / Spécial - Requêtes)  le 11 septembre 1998

CONTENTS                                       TABLE DES MATIÈRES

James Puskas

James Lockyer

Pinkofsky, Lockyer

v. (26373)

Her Majesty The Queen (Ont.)

Tom Beveridge

Dept. of Justice

FILING DATE 25.6.1998

Delbert Ross Chatwell

James Lockyer

Pinkofsky, Lockyer

v. (26492)

Her Majesty The Queen (Ont.)

Jennifer Woollcombe

Min. of the A.G. for Ontario

FILING DATE 25.6.1998

M.V.

Jean Richer

Richer & Richer

v. (26527)

Her Majesty The Queen (Ont.)

Miriam Bloomenfeld

Min. of the A.G.

FILING DATE 30.6.1998

Kevin Charles MacKinnon

Kevin Charles MacKinnon

v. (26641)

Her Majesty The Queen (Alta.)

Gorden Tomljanovic

Alberta Dept. of Justice

FILING DATE 7.5.1998

Randall Ray Debruin

Alain Hepner, Q.C.

Ross - Hepner

v. (26623)

Her Majesty The Queen (Alta.)

Elizabeth Hughes

Alberta Justice, Appeal and Criminal Law Policy

FILING DATE 26.6.1998

James Warren Wells

Marian E. Bryant

v. (26642)

Her Majesty The Queen (Alta.)

Goran Tomljanovic

Alberta Justice, Appeals and Criminal Law Policy

FILING DATE 4.6.1998

Jeffrey Fink et al.

Steven Skurka

v. (26647)

Her Majesty The Queen (Ont.)

Michal Fairburn

Crown Law Office, Criminal

FILING DATE 26.6.1998

Khalid Somra et al.

Kenneth Radnoff, Q.C.

Radnoff, Pearl, Slover, Swedko, Dwoskin

v. (26667)

432080 Ontario Limited et al.

Derek A.J. D’Oliverira

Swanick & Associates

FILING DATE 27.5.1998

Doris Merrill Nelson

Doris Merrill Nelson

v. (26684)

Her Majesty The Queen (F.C.A.)(B.C.)

Gregory Franklin

A.G. of Canada

FILING DATE 2.6.1998

Huan Van Nguyen

Wes Wilson

v. (26691)

The United States of America et al. (Ont.)

Graham Reynolds

Dept. of Justice

FILING DATE 29.6.1998

Michael C. James B.Sc.

Michael C. James B.Sc.

v. (26692)

Her Majesty The Queen (F.C.A.)(Ont.)

Paul Plourde, Q.C.

Dep. A.G. of Canada

FILING DATE 10.8.1998

Pushpa Thawani

Pushpa Thawani

v. (26711)

M. Leal Sarmiento (Man.)

M. Leal Sarmiento

FILING DATE 12.6.1998

Société nationale immobilière Sonatim Inc.

Jérôme Choquette, c.r.

Choquette Beaupré Rhéaume

c. (26713)

Société de développement de l’Île Bizard Inc. et al. (Qué.)

Walter C. Elmore

DATE DE PRODUCTION 15.6.1998

Sophie Jaremko

Richard R. Arblaster

v. (26714)

Metropolitan Toronto Condominium Corporation No. 875, et al. (Ont.)

Howard W. Winkler

Gowling, Strathy & Henderson

FILING DATE 7.8.1998

A. Tony Fiorelli

A. Tony Fiorelli

v. (26723)

Dr. J. G. Stephens et al. (Ont.)

W.J. Cornwall

McCarthy, Tétrault

FILING DATE 23.6.1998

872935 Ontario Limited

Peter J. Lukasiewicz

Gowling, Strathy & Henderson

v. (26725)

Sherwood Design Services Inc. et al. (Ont.)

Antonio Conte

Reino, Conte & Assoc.

FILING DATE 16.6.1998

Cruise Canada Inc.

Benoît Lapointe

Paquette Gadler

c. (26730)

André Clermont et al. (Qué.)

Yvon Plante

Therrien, Plante, Vanasse & Provencher

DATE DE PRODUCTION 26.6.1998

Bendt Matthiessen

Robert J. Wachowich

Weir Bowen

v. (26731)

Her Majesty The Queen (Alta.)

Robert Frater

Dept. of Justice

FILING DATE 18.6.1998

Lance William Wust

Harry G. Stevenson

v. (26732)

Her Majesty The Queen (B.C.)

Peter Ewert

A.G. of B.C.

FILING DATE 26.6.1998

Brian Doody

Brian Doody

c. (26733)

Professional Training Committee of the Barreau du Québec et al. (Qué.)

Jean Pomminville

Lavery de Billy

DATE DE PRODUCTION 15.6.1998

J. Adory Laliberté et al.

J. Adory Laliberté

c. (26734)

Sa Majesté la Reine (C.A.F.)(Qué.)

Marie-Andrée Legault

P.G. du Canada

DATE DE PRODUCTION 12.6.1998

Richter & Associés Inc.

Avram Fishman

Goldstein, Flanz & Fishman

c. (26735)

Elliot C. Wightman et al. (Qué.)

Martine Desjardins

Heenan Blaikie

DATE DE PRODUCTION 29.6.1998

Kelly Sykes

Jeffrey R. Ray

v. (26736)

Her Majesty The Queen (B.C.)

Peter Ewert, Q.C.

Min. of the A.G.

FILING DATE 29.6.1998

Irving Oil Limited, a body corporate

Robert G. Vincent, Q.C.

Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales

v. (26737)

Angela Moquin et al. (N.B.)

Drew L. Simpson

Simpson Law Office

FILING DATE 26.6.1998

Ville de Saint-Hubert

Pierre Cimoné

Bernard, Cimoné, Poupart, Despatis

c. (26738)

S.S.Q. Société d’assurance générale et al. (Qué.)

Odette Jobin-Laberge

Lavery, de Billy

DATE DE PRODUCTION 26.6.1998

Wyeth-Ayerst Canada Inc. et al.

James A. Robb, Q.C.

Stikeman, Elliott

v. (26739)

Dr. Romano Deghenghi (Que.)

Claude-Armand Sheppard

Robinson Sheppard Shapiro

FILING DATE   22.6.1998

Canada Post Corporation

John B. Laskin

Tory Tory DesLauriers & Binnington

v. (26740)

James W. Smith et al. (Ont.)

Paul Cavalluzzo

Cavalluzzo Hayes Shilton McIntyre & Cornish

FILING DATE 30.6.1998

Tam Thanh Chu

Peter Golden

v. (26741)

Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (F.C.A.)(B.C.)

Leigh A. Taylor

Dept. of Justice

FILING DATE 29.6.1998

B.M.

Andrew H. Heft

v. (26742)

S.L. (Qué.)

Lydia Milazzo

Gross, Pinsky

FILING DATE 29.6.1998

John Loring Patrick Sinclair

Sidney Green, Q.C.

v. (26743)

The Law Society of Manitoba (Man.)

Eleanor R. Dawson

Aikins MacAulay & Thorvaldson

FILING DATE 13.7.1998

Manac Inc. Corp.

Maurice Régnier, Q.C.

Stikeman, Elliott

v. (26744)

Her Majesty The Queen (F.C.A.)(Que.)

Richard Gobeil

Dept. of Justice

FILING DATE 30.6.1998

Groupe Montech Inc. et al.

Nicholas Sanzari

Hanna Glasz & Sher

c. (26745)

Montage et découpage Promag Inc. et al. (Qué.)

Marc Simard

Bélanger, Sauvé

DATE DE PRODUCTION 10.7.1998

Pierre Malboeuf

Patrick F.D. McCann

v. (26746)

Her Majesty The Queen (Ont.)

Eric Siebenmorgen

FILING DATE 30.6.1998

Gerhard Wiemer

Sidney Green, Q.C.

v. (26748)

The Minister of Human Resources Development et al. (F.C.A.)(Man.)

Roger R. Lafrenière

A.G. of Canada

FILING DATE 10.7.1998

Jon Oprea et al.

Richard H. Parker

Beard, Winter

v. (26749)

The Royal Insurance Company of Canada (Ont.)

Angela Emerson

Gilbertson, Davis, Herceg, Emerson

FILING DATE 31.7.1998

Aditya Narayan Varma

Aditya Narayan Varma

v. (26750)

Gordon Newton Forsyth (Ont.)

Risa M. Kirshblum

Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin

FILING DATE 24.6.1998

Ernest A. J. Hawrish

Ernest A.J. Hawrish

v. (26752)

The Law Society of Saskatchewan et al. (Sask.)

Allan T. Snell, Q.C.

FILING DATE 17.7.1998

John Rene Pregent

Paul Burnstein

Burstein and Paine

v. (26753)

Her Majesty The Queen (Ont.)

A.G. for Ontario

FILING DATE 21.7.1998

Michael Khanna

Alan D. Gold

Gold & Fuerst

v. (26754)

Her Majesty The Queen (Ont.)

A.G. for Ontario

FILING DATE 23.7.1998

Les entreprises Raymond Denis Inc.

Michel Bouchard

c. (26756)

Ville de Val-Bélair (Qué.)

Pierre Laurin

Flynn, Rivard

DATE DE PRODUCTION 17.7.1998

BOT Construction Limited

Ronald G. Chapman

v. (26758)

Her Majesty The Queen et al. (Ont.)

Dennis Brown

Min. of the A.G.

FILING DATE 10.8.1998

Hussmann Canada Inc.

I.V.B. Nordheimer

Fraser & Beatty

v. (26759)

Alfred Leonetti et al. (Ont.)

Paul D. Amey

Waterous, Holden, Amey, Hitchon

FILING DATE 10.7.1998

H.K.

c. (26760)

La direction de la protection de la jeunesse (Centre jeunesse de Montréal) et al. (Qué.)

Hughes Létourneau

Primeau, Létourneau & Assoc.

DATE DE PRODUCTION 27.7.1998

Larry Havelange

Elaine Lee

Hnatyshyn Singer Thorstad

v. (26761)

Her Majesty The Queen (Sask.)

D. Murray Brown, Q.C.

Office of the A.G. for the province of Sask.

FILING DATE 29.7.1998

Sa Majesté la Reine

Germain Tremblay

c. (26762)

Sassine Georges Sreih (Qué.)

Sassine Georges Sreih

DATE DE PRODUCTION 19.6.1998

Peter D. Shanoha

Wayne M. Onchulenko

Levine Levene Tadman

v. (26763)

Motorways (1980) Ltd. (Man.)

Jeffrey J. Palamar

Taylor McCaffrey

FILING DATE 13.7.1998

N.V. Reykdal & Associates Ltd.

W. Donald Goodfellow, Q.C.

v. (26764)

K. & Fung Canada Limited (Alta.)

Dalton McGrath

Blake Cassels & Graydon

DATE DE PRODUCTION 30.7.1998

Her Majesty The Queen

Gregg Lawlor

Manitoba Justice

v. (26765)

Mohamed Ameerulla Khan (Man.)

Martin D. Glazer

FILING DATE 31.7.1998

Terrance Horrod et al.

Donald A. Farquhar, Q.C.

Pearlman & Lindholm

v. (26768)

Jane Wang (B.C.)

Lawrence Page

Page Fraser & Assoc.

FILING DATE 31.7.1998

W.C.W.

Hugh Gwillim

v. (26770)

Her Majesty The Queen (B.C.)

Dirk Ryneveld, Q.C.

Office of Crown Counsel

FILING DATE 4.8.1998

Shannon Sullivan et al.

James Murphy

Pearl & Associates

c. (26771)

Camp Carowanis Inc. (Qué.)

Philippe Lelarge

Gasco, Lelarge

DATE DE PRODUCTION 31.7.1998

Her Majesty The Queen

William F. Ehrcke, Q.C.

Min. of the A.G.

v. (26772)

Anthony James Gillies (B.C.)

Jeffrey R. Ray

FILING DATE 4.8.1998

Guardian Insurance Company

Brian A. Crane, Q.C.

Gowling, Strathy & Henderson

v. (26773)

Ontario Tree Fruits Limited (Ont.)

Alan J. Lenczner, Q.C.

Lenczner, Slaght, Royce, Smith, Griffin

FILING DATE 7.8.1998

Robert Lavigne

Robert Lavigne

v. (26774)

Human Resources Development et al. (F.C.A.)(Que.)

Raymond Piche

A.G. of Canada

FILING DATE 4.8.1998

Sharon Rounds et al.

Raymond G. Colautti

Paroian, Raphael, Courey, Cohen & Houston

v. (26775)

Her Majesty The Queen in the Right of Canada (F.C.A.)(Ont.)

Dale Yurka

A.G. of Canada

FILING DATE 6.8.1998

Noel Francis Chantiam

Warren Rapoport

McDonald & Hayden

v. (26776)

Packall Packaging Inc. et al. (Ont.)

Douglas G. Loucks

Kerr, Waid & Assoc.

FILING DATE 17.7.1998

Brent Paul Rockwood

Brent Paul Rockwood

v. (26777)

Minister of National Revenue (Nfld.)

Valerie A. Miller

A.G. of Canada

FILING DATE 28.5.1998

Esther Neuman

Priscilla E.S.J. Kennedy

Parlee McLaws

v. (26778)

Her Majesty The Queen (Alta.)

W.W. Smart

Justice Canada

FILING DATE 7.8.1998

K.L.W.

R. Ian Histed

Downtown Legal Action

v. (26779)

Winnipeg Child and Family Services (Man.)

Heather Leonoff, Q.C.

Wolch, Pinx, Tapper, Scurfield

FILING DATE 10.8.1998

Ladner Downs et al.

Stephen R. Schachter

Nathanson Schachter & Thompson

v. (26780)

Douglas Shore (B.C.)

Gregory K. Steele

Steele & Co.

FILING DATE 31.7.1998

JULY 6, 1998 / LE 6 JUILLET 1998

CORAM:  Chief Justice Lamer and McLachlin and Iacobucci JJ. /

Le juge en chef Lamer et les juges McLachlin et Iacobucci

                                                                                      Greggory Tremblay

                                                                                                v. (26549)

                                                                      Her Majesty the Queen (Crim.)(Sask.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms  - Criminal law - Whether Court of Appeal erred in excusing the Respondent from adducing evidence of justification pursuant to section 1  of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms  when opportunity was given to the Respondent to do so and such evidence was not led - Did the Court of Appeal err in dismissing the Applicant’s appeal in the absence of such evidence?

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                                        William O’Malley

                                                                                                v. (26480)

                                                                      Her Majesty The Queen (Crim.)(B.C.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Criminal Law - Canadian  Charter  - Procedural Law - Appeals - Whether Court of Appeal properly dismissed application for extension of time to appeal from conviction - Application to admit “fresh evidence” in support of appeal from conviction based on guilty plea - Necessity to form intent to appeal within time allowed - Effect of failure of disclosure at trial - Effect of conduct of the Applicant’s counsel at trial and during sentence appeal.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                                     Lorraine Marie Dopf

                                                                                                v. (26525)

                                                                          The Royal Bank of Canada (B.C.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Labour Law - Employment Law - Master and Servant - Fiduciary Duty - Dismissal and Termination of Employment Relationship - Employee of bank terminated for cause - Prior to dimissal for cause employee requested to provide security for, and make payments on, loans to a failing company of which she held one share and her husdband held the remaining 99 shares - Employee instructed to appear at bank’s premises upon completion of short-term disability leave but dismissed while eligible for extension of leave following accident - Bank dismissing without accepting employee’s responses to its allegations of  dishonesty - Whether circumstances preceding and surrounding dismissal gave rise to a fiduciary obligation on part of the bank - Whether bank breached fiduciary obligation - Whether aggravated or punitive damages could be awarded by jury - Whether Court of Appeal improperly interfered with jury awards of compensatory, punitive and aggravated damages.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

CORAM:   L’Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier and Bastarache JJ. /

Les juges L’Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier et Bastarache

                                                                                   Her Majesty The Queen

                                                                                                v. (26600)

                                                                     Donald Alexander Elliott (Crim.)(Ont.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Criminal Law - Procedural Law - Trial - Reasonable apprehension of bias - Past relationship between trial judge and accused - Trial judge presided over criminal trial of accused in which credibility of accused was an issue - Prior to appointment to Bench, trial judge had acted as counsel in unrelated civil proceedings in which his client had alleged that the accused had engaged in fraudulent activity - No indicia of actual bias - Whether circumstances gave rise to reasonable apprehension of bias.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                                   Andrew Mark Marshall

                                                                                                v. (26602)

                                                                      Her Majesty The Queen (Crim.)(Alta.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Criminal law - The Court of Appeal for the Province of Alberta erred in law in not applying section 686(1) (a)(i) of the Criminal Code of Canada , which effectively denied the Applicant the opportunity of making full answer and defence - Whether error in law on the evidence - Whether Court of Appeal failed to resolve significant inconsistencies in the testimony of the complainant -Whether Court of Appeal for the Province of Alberta failed to appreciated the effect of the prior inconsistent statements of the Complainant - Assessment of credibility.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                              John Alexander Summerbell

                                                                                                v. (26630)

                                                                      Her Majesty The Queen (Crim.)(Ont.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Criminal law - Juries - Charge to the jury - “Rolled-up” charge - Defences - Whether the trial judge was obliged to give the jury a rolled-up charge putting forth the Applicant’s multiple defences - Whether the trial judge adequately instructed the jury on the defences put forth by the Applicant.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

CORAM: Cory, Major and Binnie JJ. /

Les juges Cory, Major et Binnie

                                                                               Andrew Michael McMechan

                                                                                                v. (26638)

                                                                      Her Majesty The Queen (Crim.)(Man.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Criminal law - Customs and excise - Whether the Court of Appeal erred in speculating as to the effect of s. 3 of the Reporting of Exported Goods Regulations when that was not before the trial judge and was not pleaded by the Crown - Whether the Court of Appeal erred in noting that s. 3 of the Reporting of Exported Goods Regulations could sustain a conviction where the use of s. 3 of the Regulations was not the determinative issue at trial - Whether the summary conviction appeal court erred in dismissing the Applicant’s Charter  argument raised for the first time on appeal.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                                                     R.L.

                                                                                                v. (26644)

                                                        The Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa-Carleton (Ont.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Family law - Wards of the Crown - Child and Family Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.11 - Child protection proceedings - Custody - Care and custody hearing - Whether the finding of protection was adjudicated - Whether the Court of Appeal’s decision is contrary to the Act - Whether the lower courts disposed of the case properly.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION -- REHEARING/

DEMANDE DE RÉEXAMEN -- NOUVELLE AUDITION

CORAM:   L’Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier and Bastarache JJ. /

Les juges L’Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier et Bastarache

Georges A. Rocheleau c. Ville de Bedford, et al. (Qué.)(26425)

JULY 13, 1998 / LE 13 JUILLET 1998

CORAM:   Chief Justice Lamer and McLachlin and Iacobucci JJ. /

Le juge en chef Lamer et les juges McLachlin et Iacobucci

                                                                                     Gerald O. Swicheniuk

                                                                                                v. (26649)

                                                                      Her Majesty The Queen (Crim.)(Sask.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Criminal law - Counsel - Whether the Court of Appeal erred when it concluded that there is no constitutional requirement for trial judges to caution an unrepresented accused person on the danger of proceeding without counsel - Whether the Court of Appeal erred in concluding that the Applicant had received a fair trial.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                  Vera Marie Hagen and Vera Marie Hagen

as Executrix of the Estate of David Albert Hagen

                                                                                                v. (26541)

                                                               Carl Gustav Stromner and Koch Oil Co. Ltd.

-and-

Workers’ Compensation Board (Alta.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Labour Law - Workers’ Compensation - Canadian Charter  - Civil - Civil actions outside workers’ compensation schemes - Workers’ Compensation Board finds fatal accident was within provincial workers’ compensation scheme - Victim’s widow and estate commencing action outside scheme - Board releasing certificate stating that it was subrogated to any cause of action arising under the W.C.A. and that it had not given consent to the action - Whether Board had jurisdiction to determine action was barred - Whether Board is a statutory tribunal - Whether parties to accident were in employer-employee relationships and under the provincial workers’ compensation scheme - Whether Board  had jurisdiction to determine status of  parties - Whether certificate was determinative or capable of review - Whether Workers’ Compensation Act, R.S.A. 1981, c. W-16 contravenes Charter .

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

CORAM:   L’Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier and Bastarache JJ. /

Les juges L’Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier et Bastarache

                                                                                          Gary R. Gurtler

                                                                                                v. (26640)

                                                                      Her Majesty The Queen (Crim.)(Sask.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Criminal law - Evidence - Expert evidence - Whether the expert evidence was admissible - Whether there was any evidence supporting the authorship and origin of documents used by the experts for their testimony - Whether the Crown’s address to the jury was unfair - Whether the Court of Appeal found an error that did not result in a miscarriage of justice - Whether the Court of Appeal erred in concluding that it was not necessary to deal with any of the grounds advanced by the Applicant on appeal.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                                      Roderick MacDonell

                                                                                                v. (26502)

                                                                         Robert Flahiff and Gérald Lavoie

- and-

The Honourable Jean-Pierre Bonin

(ès qualité judge of the Court of Québec)

- and -

The Attorney General of Canada (Qué.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms  - Administrative law - Jurisdiction - Procedural law - Certiorari - Right to a fair trial - Freedom of expression - Judge lifting his previous order prohibiting access to a search warrant and supporting affidavit, once charges were laid against the Respondents - Respondents claiming that information was false and its release would prejudice their right to a fair trial - Respondents applying for certiorari, on the basis of an error on the face of the record amounting to a jurisdictional error - Respondents’ application dismissed by Superior Court of Québec, but overturned on appeal - Court of Appeal imposing publication ban on search warrant and supporting documents but allowing access by the press - Evidentiary basis required to justify a publication ban - Effect of section 487.3  of the Criminal Code,  R.S.C. 1985, c.  C-46 , as amended - Sections  2(b) and 11(d) of the Charter  - A.G. (Nova Scotia) v.  MacIntyre, [1982] 1 S.C.R. 175 - Dagenais v.  Canadian Broadcasting Corp., [1994] 3 S.C.R. 835.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                                         Antoine Thibault

                                                                                                c. (26576)

                                                                           Collège des médecins du Québec

- et -

Le Procureur général du Québec (Qué.)

NATURE DE LA CAUSE

Procédure - Législation - Interprétation - Obligation de donner au Procureur général un avis de trente jours “avant la date de l’audition” lorsqu’une partie entend soulever l’inconstitutionnalité d’une disposition législative ou réglementaire - La Cour d’appel a-t-elle erré dans l’interprétation et l’application des art. 34 du Code de procédure pénale, L.R.Q., ch. C-25.1, et 95 du Code de procédure civile, L.R.Q., ch. C-25? - La Cour d’appel a-t-elle erré en déclarant inopposable au Procureur général une entente intervenue entre le demandeur et l’intimé sur la présentation des moyens constitutionnels?

HISTORIQUE PROCÉDURAL

                                                                                          Gilles Patenaude

                                                                                                c. (26588)

                                                                       Procureur général du Québec (Qué.)

NATURE DE LA CAUSE

Charte canadienne des droits et libertés  - Droit criminel - Contestation constitutionnelle des paragraphes 254(2)  et (5)  du Code criminel  fondée sur l’alinéa 11c)  de la Charte canadienne  et l’article 33.1 de la Charte des droits et libertés de la personne, L.R.Q., chap. C-12 - Absence de fondement factuel - Absence d’intérêt - Principe de l’autorité de la chose jugée - Requête de l’intimé en rejet de l’action directe en nullité intentée par le demandeur accueillie - Requête de l’intimé en rejet d’appel accueillie - Le demandeur doit-il avoir commis une infraction criminelle pour justifier d’un fondement factuel à la contestation constitutionnelle d’une disposition législative?

HISTORIQUE PROCÉDURAL

CORAM:   Cory, Major and Binnie JJ. /

Les juges Cory, Major et Binnie

                                                                                          Darrell Brertton

                                                                                                v. (26669)

                                                                      Her Majesty The Queen (Crim.)(Alta.)

AND BETWEEN:

Cameron Cardinal

v. (26669)

Her Majesty The Queen (Crim.)(Alta.)

AND BETWEEN:

Samuel Lorne Bull, Jr.

v. (26669)

Her Majesty The Queen (Crim.)(Alta.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Criminal law - Constitutional law - Procedural law - Whether an appeal of constitutional issues falls withing the scope of the Provincial Offences Procedure Act and the Criminal Code  or whether it is an appeal as of right to the Court of Appeal - Whether constitutional issues are important questions of law.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                                            Kyle Johnston

                                                                                                v. (26522)

                                                                             M & E Holdings Limited (N.S.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Torts - Damages - Negligence - Whether the lower courts erred in determining whether there was an unusual danger - Whether the lower courts erred in law by failing to analyse the evidence - Whether the Court of Appeal erred in law by failing to correct the palpable and manifest errors in law by the trial judge.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

July 29, 1997

Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (MacLellan J.)

Applicant’s action for damages dismissed

January 16, 1998

Nova Scotia Court of Appeal

(Freeman, Hart and Flinn JJ.A.)

Appeal dismissed

March 17, 1998

Supreme Court of Canada

Application for leave to appeal filed

MOTIONS FOR RECONSIDERATION -- REHEARING /

DEMANDES DE RÉEXAMEN -- NOUVELLE AUDITION

CORAM:   L’Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier and Bastarache JJ. /

Les juges L’Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier et Bastarache

1.  M.-J.R. c. M.B. (Qué.)(26347)

2.  Jacques Laurendeau c. Université Laval (Qué.)(26453)

JULY 20, 1998 / LE 20 JUILLET 1998

CORAM:   Chief Justice Lamer and McLachlin and Iacobucci JJ. /

Le juge en chef Lamer et les juges McLachlin et Iacobucci

                                                                                              Bruce Hahn

                                                                                                v. (26685)

                                                                     Her Majesty The Queen (Crim.)(P.E.I.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms  - Criminal law - Procedure - Jurisdiction - Whether a preliminary inquiry judge is a court of competent jurisdiction for the purposes of s. 24(2)  of the Charter.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                     Agostinho Silva Bonanca, and Maria Augusta Bonanca,

on her own behalf and behalf of all others entitled to claim under the Family Law Act

                                                                                                v. (26521)

                               Donald P. Jones, Stanley Winston Epstein, and Toronto Western Hospital (Ont.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Procedural Law - Limitation of Actions - Medical Malpractice - Negligence - Whether the Applicant knew, or ought to have known, all the medical facts or procedures that would trigger a limitation period more than one year before commencing an action.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                                              Innopac Inc.

                                                                                                v. (26531)

                                                                                  Robert J. Reynolds (Ont.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Labour law - Contracts - Constructive dismissal - “Parachute agreement” providing for payment on take-over of employer company and constructive dismissal of employee - Take-over occurred -Whether the Court of Appeal erred in retrying this case on its facts where there is no palpable or over-riding error and where such an error was not argued - Whether the Court of Appeal erred in law in holding that an employee can accept a higher paying job elsewhere before rejecting an employer’s request to transfer to a new office and can then rely upon the changes as amounting to constructive dismissal to trigger the terms of the parachute agreement - Whether the Court of Appeal erred in law in examining extra-contractual, subjective factors to determine if there was constructive dismissal - Whether the Court of Appeal erred in law in finding that the employee was not obliged to accept a transfer, requested in good faith, because he had lived all his life in southern Ontario - Whether an employee must clearly communicate to the employer that he does not agree to the transfer before he resigns in order for constructive dismissal based on the transfer to occur - Whether this case conflicts with Smith v. Viking Helicopter (1989), 68 O.R. (2d) 228 (Ont. C.A.) - Whether it is proper to consider the loss of benefits payable under a parachute agreement when determining if there has been a constructive dismissal which would trigger payment of those benefits?

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                                      Anderson T. Walcott

                                                                                                v. (26567)

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Ontario, Ontario Provincial Government, Ministry of Citizenship Culture and Recreation, Ontario Human Rights Commission, Ministry of Environment and Energy, York (Ontario) Hydro, Ministry of the Attorney General, Etobicoke Small Claims Court, North York Small Claims Court, Master’s Court, Ontario Ministry of Finance, Ontario Insurance Commission, Toronto Transit Commission, Bell Canada, Schwerdt Map Art, Society of Management Accountants of Ontario, Bencharge Credit Service, Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, General Accident Assurance Co., General Motors Acceptance Corporation of Canada, G.B.C. Canada Inc, The Canada Trust Company (Ont.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Procedural law - Civil Procedure - Pre-trial procedure - Summary judgment motions - Motions for default judgment - Whether the statement of claim disclosed a reasonable cause of action - Whether the statement of claim could be struck out on other grounds - Whether the lower courts disposed of the case properly.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

April 9, 1997

Ontario Court (General Division) (Campbell J.)

The Canada Trust Company’s motion for an order striking out the statement of claim granted

June 17, 1997

Ontario Court (General Division)

(Molloy J.)

GMAC’s motion for an order striking out the statement of claim granted; Applicant’s motion for summary judgment dismissed; Applicant’s motion to note Respondents in default and to issue default judgment dismissed

July 18, 1997

Ontario Court (General Division)

(Ground J.)

Respondents’ motions for order striking out the statement of claim against York (Ontario) Hydro, Allstate  Insurance of Canada, Bencharge Credit Service, General Accident Assurance Company of Canada, G.B.C. Canada Inc., the Ontario Provincial Government, Ministry of Citizenship Culture and Recreation, Ontario Human Rights Commission, Ministry of the Attorney General, Etobicoke Small Claims Court, North York Small Claims Court, Masters Court, Ontario Ministry of Finance and the Ontario Insurance Commission were granted without leave to amend

February 26, 1998

Court of Appeal for Ontario

(McKinlay, Austin and Dunnet [ad hoc] JJ.A.)

Appeals dismissed

March 20, 1998

Supreme Court of Canada

Application for leave to appeal filed 

CORAM:   L’Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier and Bastarache JJ. /

Les juges L’Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier et Bastarache

                                                                                    Stefan Hadrian Comsa

                                                                                                v. (26700)

                                                                      Her Majesty The Queen (Crim.)(Alta.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Criminal law - Whether the Court of Appeal correctly applied s. 686(1)(b)(ii) - Whether the Court of Appeal properly considered all of the Applicant’s submissions - Whether the Court of Appeal erred in denying the Applicant’s motion to reopen the conviction appeal - Whether the Court of Appeal erred in denying the Applicant judicial interim release pending the decision on his application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada - Whether the Applicant’s fresh evidence should be admitted.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                                  Benny Abdenbi Barrouk

                                                                                                c. (26447)

Brenda J. Crowther, Syncrude Canada et Darren J. Gibbs,

et leurs deux assurances: La Compagnie d’assurance

Guardian du Canada police no.88-29847 et Liberty Mutual Insurance Group

police A.C.2.271681054007023 (C.A.F.)(Alb.)

NATURE DE LA CAUSE

Droit Administratif - Compétence - Action - Dommages-intérêts - Tiers - Victime d’un accident d’automobile - Véhicules automobiles - Action du demandeur rejetée pour cause d’absence juridiction - Droit à une plaidoirie écrite et orale.

HISTORIQUE PROCÉDURAL

                                                    Ville de Boisbriand et Communauté urbaine de Montréal

                                                                                                c. (26583)

                                          La Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse

                                                                                                     - et -

                                                                                   Palmerino Troilo (Qué.)

ENTRE:

Ville de Montréal et Communauté urbaine de Montréal

c. (26583)

La Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse

- et -

Réjeanne Mercier (Qué.)

NATURE DE LA CAUSE

Libertés publiques - Droit du travail - Législation - Interprétation - Art. 10 de la Charte des droits et libertés de la personne, L.R.Q., ch. C-12 - Discrimination - Notion de “handicap” - Anomalies asymptomatiques et sans limitation fonctionnelle - Perception subjective de l’existence d’un handicap - Refus d’embauche de la plaignante à un poste de jardinière en raison d’une légère scoliose dorso-lombaire découverte lors d’un examen médical de préembauche - Plaignant renvoyé de son poste de policier parce qu’il est atteint de la maladie de Crohn - Cour d’appel concluant que l’employeur avait violé le droit à l’égalité des plaignants protégé par l’art. 10 - La Cour d’appel a-t-elle erré en concluant que la protection contre la discrimination fondée sur le handicap s’appliquait dans le cas d’une anomalie asymptomatique et n’occasionnant aucune incapacité fonctionnelle? - La Cour d’appel donne-t-elle une portée beaucoup trop large à la notion de handicap?

HISTORIQUE PROCÉDURAL

Collie Woollen Mills Limited, James Edward Collie, James S.Collie, Jean L. Collie and Gene L. Collie

                                                                                                v. (26518)

                                                                      Her Majesty The Queen (F.C.A.)(Ont.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Procedural law - Pre-trial procedure - Civil Procedure - Motion for summary judgment - “Genuine issue for trial” - Whether the lower courts disposed of the case properly.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

February 14, 1996

Federal Court of Canada (Trial Division) (Richard J.)

Respondent’s motion for summary judgment granted

January 15, 1998

Federal Court of Appeal

(Pratte, Denault, and Linden JJ.A.)

Appeal dismissed

March 16, 1998

Supreme Court of Canada

Application for leave to appeal filed

CORAM: Cory, Major and Binnie JJ. /

Les juges Cory, Major et Binnie

                                                                                    Terry Grismer (Estate)

                                                                                                v. (26481)

British Columbia Council of Human Rights (Member Designate Tom Patch), British Columbia

Superintendent of Motor Vehicles and the Attorney General of British Columbia (B.C.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Administrative law - Judicial review - Human rights - Equality rights - Discrimination on the basis of physical disability - Motor vehicle licencing  as a service or facility customarily available to the public - Complainant’s driver’s licence cancelled due to physical disability affecting vision - Whether the member designate of the British Columbia Council of Human Rights erred in finding that the complainant had been discriminated against and that the discrimination was unjustified - Test to be applied to persons with disabilities who have been discriminated against - Issue of accommodation.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                         Nancy Chappell and News Publishing Company Ltd.

Publishers of the “Nelson Daily News” and the Nelson Daily News

                                                                                                v. (26571)

                                                                                              J.M.F. (B.C.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Constitutional Law - Division of  Powers - Civil and Property Rights - Criminal Law - Publication Bans - Torts - Invasion of Privacy - Negligence - Statutes - Interpretation - Publication ban ordered in criminal proceedings protecting identity of sexual assault victim - Count of sexual assault stayed in plea bargain - Victim’s name subsequently published in newspaper report - Action for damages for invasion of privacy and negligence - Statutory defence claimed under s. 2(2) of  Privacy Act, R.S.B.C., 1979 c.336 - Whether publication was privileged within the meaning of s. 3(1) of the Libel and Slander Act,  R.S.B.C. 1979, c. 234 - Whether order for publication ban rendered under s. 486(3)  of the Criminal Code , R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46  overrides defence provided by Privacy Act - Whether publication ban could be maintained after the charges giving rise to ban stayed - Parliamentary authority to nullify a statutory defence where both the defence and action are established within the same statute passed under provincial legislative power over property and civil rights.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                         David Taggart and Linda Taggart

                                                                                                v. (26532)

                                                      Brancato Construction Ltd. and James Brancato (Ont.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Property Law - Real Property - Agreement of Purchase and Sale - Misrepresentation - Breach of contract - Exclusionary clauses - Recission - Whether misrepresentations were made to purchasers of land giving rise to a right to rescission - Whether vendor in breach of contract - Whether exclusionary clause applied - Whether Court of Appeal interfered with factual findings in absence of palpable or overriding error.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

JULY 27, 1998 / LE 27 JUILLET 1998

CORAM:   Chief Justice Lamer and McLachlin and Iacobucci JJ. /

Le juge en chef Lamer et les juges McLachlin et Iacobucci

                                                                                            Peter Nordyne

                                                                                                c. (26574)

                                                                          Sa Majesté la Reine (Crim.)(Qué.)

NATURE DE LA CAUSE

Droit criminel - Droit fiscal - Accise - Poursuite intentée en vertu de l’art. 240  de la Loi sur l’accise , L.R.C. (1985) ch. E-14  - Possession de tabac non estampillé conformément à la Loi sur l’accise  - Défaut de publier la directive sur le contenu des estampilles selon les exigences de la loi - Condamnation - Pouvoir du ministre de réglementer le contenu de l’estampille - Est-ce que les tribunaux inférieurs se sont posés la bonne question? -  La Cour d’appel a-t-elle erré en maintenant la décision du juge de première instance qui a statué que l’acte d’accusation était valide?

HISTORIQUE PROCÉDURAL

                                                                                 Marty Lorraine Morrisey

                                                                                                v. (26703)

                                                                       Her Majesty The Queen (Crim.)(N.S.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms  - Criminal law - Sentencing - Cruel and unusual punishment or treatment - Whether the Court of Appeal erred in concluding that the mandatory minimum sentence in s. 220(a) (criminal negligence causing death) did not violate s. 12  of the Charter.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

CORAM: L’Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier and Bastarache JJ. /

Les juges L’Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier et Bastarache

                                                                                Thalayasingam Sivakumar

                                                                                                v. (26530)

                        Her Majesty the Queen and The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (F.C.A.)(Ont.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Immigration - International law -  Procedural law - Pre-trial procedure - Motion to strike out portions of the statement of claim and certain defendants - Whether the lower courts erred in finding that it was plain and obvious that the pleadings disclosed no reasonable cause of action founded in estoppel - Whether the lower courts disposed of the case properly.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                                 Distributions Percour Inc.

                                                                                                c. (26577)

                                                                            Boutique de sexe Ultramag Inc.

                                                                                                        et

                                                                                La Ville de Montréal (Qué.)

ET ENTRE:

                                                                                 Distributions Percour Inc.

                                                                                                c. (26577)

                                                               La Ville de Montréal et Richard Houle (Qué.)

ET ENTRE:

                                                                 Distributions Percour Inc. et Claude Perron

                                                                                                c. (26577)

                                                                                La Ville de Montréal (Qué.)

NATURE DE LA CAUSE

Droit municipal - Municipalités - Législation - Textes réglementaires - Interprétation - Droit administratif - Contrôle judiciaire - Règlement de zonage - Usage dérogatoire - Établissement exploitant l’érotisme - “Objet érotique” - Imprécision du règlement - 1) Requête de Distribution Percour Inc. en mandamus pour forcer la Ville de Montréal à lui délivrer le permis d’exploitation de son établissement rejetée - 2) Action de Boutique de sexe Ultramag Inc. en injonction permanente pour que Percour cesse d’exploiter son commerce accueillie - 3) Requête de la Ville de Montréal en application de l’article 227 de la Loi sur l’aménagement et l’urbanisme, L.R.Q., chap. A-19.1, pour que cesse l’utilisation d’une contruction contrevenant à un règlement de zonage accueillie - Appel de Distribution Percour Inc. rejeté - Les règlements municipaux sont-ils nuls pour cause d’imprécision?

HISTORIQUE PROCÉDURAL

CORAM:   Cory, Major and Binnie JJ. /

Les juges Cory, Major et Binnie

                                                                               Timothy Sheldon McCreery

                                                                                                v. (26672)

                                                                      Her Majesty The Queen (Crim.)(B.C.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Criminal law - Confessions - Whether undercover police officers were persons in authority for the purposes of the confession rule - Whether the Applicant’s statements to undercover police officers were voluntary.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                              Albert Baxter Bennett Sewell

                                                                                                v. (26536)

                            R.J. Hnatyshyn, E. Somers, A.K. Das Gupta, M. Mahmud, and B.N. Thivierge (Ont.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Procedural law - Judgments and orders - Bias - Limitation period - Did the Court of Appeal for Ontario err in law in determining that the decision made by Chadwick J. was in accordance with established legal principles and jurisprudence - Were the motions judge and appellate court biased against the Applicant - Did the lower courts err in their application of the limitation period discoverability rule.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                                         Alan Christiansen

                                                                                                v. (26545)

                                                              Paramount Developments Corporation (Alta.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Commercial law - Company law - Creditor and debtor - Bankruptcy - Statutes - Interpretation - Courts - Jurisdiction - Real property - Companies’ Creditors Arrangements Act, R.S.C. 1985, c.C-36  - Whether the chambers judge had jurisdiction to order the sale of real property - Whether the Court of Appeal had the power to hear an appeal where leave to appeal has not been obtained under the C.C.A.A. - Whether the chambers judge had the power to sanction a plan of arrangement under the C.C.A.A. without a meeting of creditors or implement a plan of reorganization suggested but not put to the creditors.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                                            Jayme Farber

                                                                                                v. (26557)

                                                                                Townsgate 1 Limited (Ont.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Commercial law - Contracts - Damages - Property law - Real property - Breach of agreement of purchase and sale - Condominiums - Contract interpretation - Provision providing for early occupancy prior to registration of declaration and description, with closing date to follow - Vendor set closing date by invoking provision for early occupation, however registration of declaration and description taking place earlier than anticipated - Purchaser failing to attend closing - Whether vendor could rely upon provision to say purchaser had repudiated contract, where all conditions of the provision no longer met - Court of Appeal finding implied term.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

JULY 31, 1998 / LE 31 JUILLET 1998

CORAM:   Chief Justice Lamer and McLachlin and Iacobucci JJ. /

Le juge en chef Lamer et les juges McLachlin et Iacobucci

Huan Van Nguyen

v. (26691)

The United States of America (Crim.)(Ont.)

AND BETWEEN:

Huan Van Nguyen

v. (26691)

The Minister of Justice for Canada (Crim.)(Ont.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Canadian Charter  - Criminal - Criminal Law - Extradition - Whether s. 18(1)(b) of the Extradition Act, R.C.S. 1985, c. E-23 denies the right to fundamental justice provided by s. 7  of the Charter - Whether the rules of evidence applied to extradition hearings deny the right to presumption of innocence or the right to equal protection and benefit of the law - Whether the Minister of Justice’s decision to surrender the Applicant without assurances that the foreign state would not seek the death penalty in the Applicant’s trial in that state was based upon an improper onus of proof required of the Applicant - Whether the Minister of Justice’s decision to surrender the Applicant without assurances that the foreign state would not seek the death penalty in the Applicant’s trial in that state was based upon an improper requirement that the Applicant’s case be of a special category of cases - Whether the evidence relied upon by the extraditions judge or the Minister of Justice was sufficient to warrant the Applicant’s committal or surrender.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

                                                                                W.R. Scott Equipment Ltd.

                                                                                                v. (26556)

                                                            Guardian Insurance Company of Canada (Alta.)

NATURE OF THE CASE

Commercial Law - Insurance - Statutes - Interpretation -  Lessor of chattels claiming under lessee’s insurance policy for damage to chattels after an execution on a judgment against the lessee was returned nulla bona - Lessee’s insurance contract insuring against all risks of damage to “property of every kind and description” defined as property of the insured or others for which the insured is liable or has assumed liability - Lessor’s claim advanced under s. 219 of Insurance Act, R.S.A. 1985, c. I-5 - Interpretation of s. 219 of  Insurance Act - Whether lessor has a right of action against insurer - Whether insurance policy was liability insurance or property insurance - Whether s. 219 applies to property insurance policies - Whether a property insurance policy insures a judgment debtor in respect of the cause of action set forth in the pleadings giving rise to the judgment.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY