Supreme Court Judgments

R. v. k. (a.), [1994] 3 S.C.R. 520

A.K.                                                                                                    Appellant

v.

Her Majesty The Queen                                                                   Respondent

Indexed as:  R. v. K. (A.)

File No.:  23808.

1994:  October 14.

Present:  Lamer C.J. and La Forest, L'Heureux‑Dubé, Sopinka, Cory, McLachlin and Major JJ.

on appeal from the court of appeal for manitoba

                   Criminal law ‑‑ Charge to jury ‑‑ Credibility ‑‑ Accused convicted of incest ‑‑ Whether trial judge's instructions to jury regarding reasonable doubt constituted misdirection.

                   APPEAL from a judgment of the Manitoba Court of Appeal (1993), 88 Man. R. (2d) 229, 51 W.A.C. 229, dismissing the accused's appeal from his conviction on a charge of incest.  Appeal allowed, La Forest, L'Heureux‑Dubé and McLachlin JJ. dissenting.

                   R. Ian Histed, for the appellant.

                   Gregg Lawlor, for the respondent.

                   The judgment of the Court was delivered orally by

//Lamer C.J.//

                   Lamer C.J. ‑‑ A majority shares the views of Twaddle J.A. and would allow.  Justices La Forest, L'Heureux‑Dubé and McLachlin find that the charge constituted adequate instructions to the jury, and would have dismissed. The appeal is therefore allowed and a new trial is ordered.

                   Judgment accordingly.

                   Solicitors for the appellant:  Savino & Company, Winnipeg.

                   Solicitor for the respondent:  Manitoba Justice, Winnipeg.