In the first half of this class, your
instructor will deliver a lecture on constitutional litigation and
procedure. His theme will be that constitutional law is an area filled
with technical problems and procedural requirements, many of which are traps
for the unwary. Are all of these problems and requirements
necessary? Do they reflect valid underlying policy concerns? Or
are they "hangups" from other areas of law and the general law of civil
procedure that have no place in constitutional litigation?
Many who have taken Advanced Constitutional Law and have gone into
private practice in the area of public law have advised that this lecture is
extremely useful -- it brings to your attention a collection of practical
issues that are not covered in any single textbook and, in the case of some
issues, any textbook.
The cases to be covered are
below.
In the second half of this class, your instructor will present
a lecture on legal writing and written advocacy. A instructional
book of precedents will be distributed. These precedents are
online. In preparation for this, please
review this article written by
your instructor (published in Hon Thomas A. Cromwell,
ed., Effective Written Advocacy (Aurora: Canada Law Book,
2008).
Practice and Procedure in Constitutional Cases
–
a case list
David Stratas, Advanced Constitutional Law,
Queen’s University
A.
Which court? Which
procedure applies?
[1]
Federal
Courts Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-7, s. 18
[2]
Crown
Liability and Proceedings Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-50, s. 21
[3]
Canada (Attorney General) v. Law
Society of British
Columbia, [1982] 2
S.C.R. 307
[4]
Canada Labour Relations
Board et al. v. Paul L'Anglais Inc. et
al., [1983] 1 S.C.R. 147
[5] Reza
v. Canada (Minister of Employment
and Immigration), [1994] 2 S.C.R. 394
[6] Black
v. Canada (Prime
Minister) (2000), 47 O.R. (3d) 532 (Ont. S.C.J.), aff'd (2001),
54 O.R. (3d) 215 (Ont. C.A.)
[7]
TeleZone Inc. v. Attorney
General (Canada) (2008), 245 O.A.C. 91 (C.A.), leave granted by S.C.C. on
June 18, 2009
[8]
Grenier
v. Canada (Attorney
General) (2005), 262 D.L.R.
(4th) 337 (F.C.A.)
B.
Special procedures for constitutional cases
[9] Crown
Liability and Proceedings Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-50
[10] Crown
Liability and Proceedings (Provincial Court) Regulations
(SOR/91-604)
[11] Proceedings
Against the Crown Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P-27
C.
Limitation periods
[12] Limitations
Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 24, Sch. B
[13] Federal Courts Act,
R.S.C. 1985, c. F-7, s. 18.1(2)
[14]
Crown Liability and Proceedings Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-50, s. 32
[15]
Des
Champs v. Conseil des écoles séparées catholiques de langue française de
Prescott-Russell, [1999] 3 S.C.R.
281
[16]
Berendsen
v. Ontario, [2001] 2 S.C.R.
849
[17]
Ravndahl v. Saskatchewan, 2009 SCC
7
D.
Notice of constitutional question
[18] Courts
of Justice Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.43, s. 109
[19] Federal
Courts Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-7, s. 57
[20] Eaton
v. Brant County Board of Education, [1997] 1 S.C.R. 241, at
paras. 46-47
[21] Paluska
v. Cava (2002) 212 D.L.R. (4th) 226 (Ont. C.A.)
E.
Stating a constitutional question
[22] Rules
of the Supreme Court of Canada, SOR/83-74, Rule
32
F.
Assigning a cause of action
[23] Financial
Administration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-11, ss.
66-71
G.
Limitations on courts' jurisdiction to grant constitutional relief
[24] MacMillan
Bloedel Ltd. v. Simpson, [1995] 4 S.C.R. 725
[25] Crevier
v. Attorney General of Quebec, [1981] 2 S.C.R. 220
[26] B.C.G.E.U.
v. British
Columbia (Attorney General), [1988] 2
S.C.R. 214
[27] R.
v. Gamble, [1988] 2 S.C.R. 595
[28] Mills
v. The Queen, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 863
[29] R.
v. Hynes, [2001] 3 S.C.R.
623
[30] R.
v. 974649 Ont. Inc., [2001] 3 S.C.R.
575
[31] U.S.A. v.
Kwok, [2001] 1 S.C.R. 532
[32] U.S.A. v.
Cobb, [2001] 1 S.C.R.
587
[33] U.S.A. v.
Shulman, [2001] 1 S.C.R.
616
H.
Interlocutory appeals in criminal
matters
[34] R.
v. Ouellette, [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1781
[35] R.
v. Meltzer, [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1764
[36] R.
v. A., [1990] 1 S.C.R. 995
[37] R.
v. Mentuck, [2001] 3 S.C.R.
442
[38] R.
v. O.N.E., [2001] 3 S.C.R.
478
I.
Civil appeal or criminal appeal?
[45] Knox
Contracting Ltd. v. Canada, [1990] 2
S.C.R. 338
[46] Kourtessis
v. M.N.R., [1993] 2 S.C.R. 53
J.
Leave to appeal procedures
[47] Supreme
Court Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. S-26, s. 40
[48] MacDonald
v. City of Montreal, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 460
[49] Dagenais
v. Canadian Broadcasting Corp., [1994] 3 S.C.R.
835
[50] Therrien
(Re), [2001] 2 S.C.R. 3
[51] R.
v. Larivière, [2001] 3 S.C.R. 1013
K.
Jurisdiction of bodies other than courts (e.g., administrative
tribunals)
[52] Cuddy
Chicks Ltd. v. Ontario (Labour Relations
Board), [1991] 2 S.C.R. 22
[53] Cooper
v. Canada (Human Rights
Commission), [1996] 3 S.C.R. 854; replaced by Nova
Scotia (Workers’
Compensation Board) v.
Martin; Nova
Scotia (Workers’ Compensation Board) v.
Laseur, [2003] 2 S.C.R. 504
[54] R.
v. Hynes, [2001] 3 S.C.R.
623
[55] R.
v. 974649 Ont. Inc., [2001] 3 S.C.R.
575 (the structural/functional test for s. 24
jurisdiction)
[56]
R.
v. Conway (2008), 90 O.R. (3d) 335 (C.A.) (whether the Ontario Review
Board has jurisdiction to apply s. 24 of the Charter; different
application of the structural functional test), leave to S.C.C. granted Feb.
26, 2009 (SCC 32662)
L.
Raising constitutional issues for the first time on judicial review /
interlocutory forays to judicial review court or superior
court
[57]
Okwuobi v. Lester B.
Pearson School
Board, [2005] 1 S.C.R. 257
[58]
Sazant v. College of Physicians and
Surgeons, unreported, Ont. S.C.J. per Bellamy J., July 11,
2007
[59]
Kelly v. Ontario (2008), 91 O.R. (3d) 100 (S.C.J.), leave dismissed (2008),
240 O.A.C. 195 (Div.
Ct.))
M.
Raising constitutional issues for the first time on appeal
[60] Performance Industries Ltd. v. Sylvan Lake Golf & Tennis
Club Ltd., [2002] 1 S.C.R. 678
[61] Thibault
v. Corp. Professionnelle des Medécins du Quebec, [1988] 1 S.C.R.
1033
[62] Friends
of the Oldman River Society v. Canada (Minister of
Transport), [1992] 1 S.C.R. 3
N.
Justiciability
[63] Operation
Dismantle Inc. v. The Queen, [1985] 1 S.C.R. 441
[64] New
Brunswick Broadcasting Co. v. Nova
Scotia (Speaker of the House of
Assembly), [1993] 1 S.C.R. 319
[65] Harvey v.
New
Brunswick (Attorney
General), [1996] 2 S.C.R.
876
[66] Speaker
of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario v.
Ontario Human Rights Commission and
Freitag (2001), 54 O.R. (3d) 595 (Ont. C.A.)
[67] Canada (House of Commons) v.
Vaid, [2005] 1 S.C.R.
667
[68] Reference
re Secession of Quebec, [1998] 2 S.C.R. 217
[69] Black
v. Canada (Prime
Minister) (2000), 47 O.R. (3d) 532 (Ont. S.C.J.), aff'd
(2001), 54 O.R. (3d) 215 (Ont. C.A.)
[70]
Democracy Watch v. Canada
(Prime Minister), 2009 FC 920
O.
Mootness / Dispute is academic
[71] Solosky
v. The Queen, [1980] 1 S.C.R. 821
[72] Borowski
v. Canada (Attorney
General), [1989] 1 S.C.R. 342
[73] New
Brunswick (Minister of Health and Community
Services) v. G. (J.), [1999] 3 S.C.R. 46
[74] M.
v. H., [1999] 2 S.C.R. 3
P.
Prematurity
[75] Del
Zotto v. Canada, [1999] 1
S.C.R. 3
[76] R.
v. Mills, [1999] 3 S.C.R.668, paras. 35-42
[77] Public
School Boards' Assn. of Alberta v.
Alberta
(Attorney General), [2000] 2 S.C.R. 409 at 436
Q.
Anticipatory infringements of rights
[78] Solosky
v. The Queen, [1980] 1 S.C.R. 821
[79] Operation
Dismantle Inc. v. The Queen, [1985] 1 S.C.R. 441
[80] R
v. Vermette, [1988] 1 S.C.R. 985
[81] R.
v. S.(R.J.), [1995] 1 S.C.R. 451, at para. 43
[82] R.
v. Harrer, [1995] 3 S.C.R. 562
[83] Suresh
v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship
and Immigration), [2002] 1 S.C.R. 3
R.
Time for adjudication of constitutional issues
[84] Mills
v. The Queen, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 863 at p. 894 per Lamer J.
[85] R.
v. Seaboyer; R v. Gayme, [1991] 2 S.C.R. 577
[86] R.
v. Smith, [1989] 2 S.C.R. 1120
[87] R.
v. Heikel, [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1776
[88] R.
v. DeSousa, [1992] 2 S.C.R. 944
[89] Kourtessis
v. M.N.R., [1993] 2 S.C.R. 53
[90] Schreiber v.
Canada (Attorney General)
and The Federal Republic of Germany (2000), 48 O.R. (3d) 521
(S.C.J.); rev'd
(2001), 57 O.R. (3d) 316 (C.A.)
S.
Staying related/multiple proceedings
[91] Courts
of Justice Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.43, s. 106
[92] Federal
Courts Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-7, ss. 18.2, 50
[93] Stickney v. Trusz
(1973), 2 O.R. (2d) 469 at p. 472 (H.C.J.), affirmed (1974) 3 O.R. (2d)
538 (C.A.)
[94] Nash
et al. v. The Queen in Right of Ontario (1995), 27 O.R. (3d) 1 (C.A.)
[95] Schreiber v.
Canada (Attorney General)
and The Federal Republic of Germany (2000), 48 O.R. (3d) 521
(S.C.J.); rev'd (2001),
57 O.R. (3d) 316 (C.A.)
[96] Pearson v. Canada, [1999] F.C.J. No.
1298 (T.D.)
T.
Evidentiary record
[97] MacKay
v. Manitoba, [1989] 2 S.C.R. 357,
at p. 361
[98] R.
v. Edwards Books and Art Ltd., [1986] 2 S.C.R. 713, at pp. 762
and 767-68, per Dickson C.J.
[99] Rio
Hotel Ltd. v. New
Brunswick (Liquor Licensing Board),
[1987] 2 S.C.R. 59, at p. 83
[100] Danson
v. Ontario
(Attorney General), [1990] 2 S.C.R. 1086, at p. 1099
[101] Baron
v. Canada, [1993] 1
S.C.R. 416, at p. 452
[102] R.
v. Morgentaler, [1993] 3 S.C.R. 463
[103] R.
v. DeSousa, [1992] 2 S.C.R. 944, at p. 954
[104] Canadian
Broadcasting Corp. v. New
Brunswick (Attorney General), [1996] 3
S.C.R. 480, at para. 15
[105] R.
v. Goltz, [1991] 3 S.C.R. 485, per Gonthier J. at pp. 515-16
U.
Judicial notice or reasoned assumptions
[106] Thomson
Newspapers v. Canada (Attorney
General), [1998] 1 S.C.R. 877
[107] R.
v. Sharpe, [2001] 1 S.C.R. 45
[108] Newfoundland (Treasury Board) v.
N.A.P.E., [2004] 3 S.C.R.
381
[109] R.
v. Find, [2001] 1 S.C.R. 863
V.
Rules of evidence
[110] Re
Anti-Inflation Act, [1976] 2 S.C.R. 373, per Laskin C.J., at p.
391
[111] Re
Residential Tenancies Act, 1979, [1981] 1 S.C.R. 714, per Dickson J. (as he then was), at
p. 723
[112] Reference
re Upper Churchill Water Rights Reversion Act, [1984] 1 S.C.R.
297, per McIntyre J., at p. 318
[113] Reference
re s. 94(2) of the Motor Vehicle Act (B.C.), [1985] 2 S.C.R. 486
[114] R.W.D.S.U.
v. Saskatchewan, [1987] 1 S.C.R.
460
W.
Introducing evidence from other proceedings
[115] Ontario
Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 30.1
[116] Schreiber
v. Canada (Attorney
General), [2001] 1 W.W.R. 739 (Alta. Q.B.)
X.
Ability to subpoena evidence
[117] Ontario Rules of
Civil Procedure, Rules 34, 39 and 53
[118] Federal
Courts Rules, 41 and 91
[119] Consortium
Developments (Clearwater) Ltd. v. Sarnia
(City), [1998] 3 S.C.R. 3
Y.
Government disclosure in constitutional law cases
[120] R.J.R.
MacDonald v. Canada, [1995] 3 S.C.R. 199, at para.
186
[121] Schreiber
v. Canada (Attorney
General), [2001] 1 W.W.R. 739 (Alta. Q.B.)
[122]
Health Services and Support-Facilities Subsector Bargaining
Association v. British
Columbia, 2002 BCSC 1509 (S.C.)
[123] Charkaoui
v. Canada (Citizenship and
Immigration), [2007] 1 S.C.R. 350
[124] Auton
(Guardian ad litem of) v. British
Columbia, 2001 BCSC
220 (S.C.),
aff’d 2002 BCCA
538 (C.A.), rev’d on a different point [2004] 3
S.C.R. 657.
Z.
Legislative assistance in getting evidence
[125] Federal
Courts Rules, 255, 317, 385 (in addition to getting discovery
and subpoenas)
[126] Ontario Rules
of Civil Procedure, Rule 51 (in addition to getting discovery and
subpoenas)
[127] Judicial
Review Procedure Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. J.1, s. 10
[128] Access
to Information Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. A-1
[129] Freedom
of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.
F.31
[130] Municipal
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.56
AA.
Admission of fresh evidence on appeal
[131] Palmer
v. The Queen, [1980] 1 S.C.R. 759
[132] R.
v. G.D.B., [2000] 1 S.C.R. 520
[133] Public
School Boards' Assn. of Alberta v.
Alberta
(Attorney General), [2000] 1 S.C.R. 44
[134] Costello v. Calgary (City) (1998), 152 D.L.R. (4th) 453 (Alta.
C.A.)
[135] R. v. Weir (2000), 181 D.L.R.
(4th) 30 (Alta. C.A.)
[136] R. v. Powley (2001), 196
D.L.R. (4th) 221 (Ont. C.A.)
BB.
Admission of fresh evidence on judicial
review
[137]
Re
Keeprite Workers'
Independent Workers Union et al. and Keeprite Products
Ltd. (1980), 114
D.L.R. (3d) 162 (Ont. C.A.).
CC.
Invoking the rights of others
[138] Hy
and Zel's Inc. v. Ontario (Attorney
General); Paul Magder Furs Ltd. v. Ontario (Attorney General),
[1993] 3 S.C.R. 675
[139] R. v. Pugliese (1992), 8 O.R.
(3d) 259 (C.A.)
[140] R.
v. Edwards, [1996] 1 S.C.R.128
[141] R.
v. Wijesinha, [1995] 3 S.C.R. 422
[142] R.
v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd., [1985] 1 S.C.R.
295
[143] Canadian
Egg Marketing Agency v. Richardson, [1998] 3 S.C.R.
157
[144] R.
v. Inco (2001), 54 O.R. (3d) 495 (C.A.)
DD.
Standing
[145] Smith
v. Attorney General of Ontario, [1924] S.C.R. 331
[146] Thorson
v. Attorney General of Canada, [1975] 1
S.C.R. 138
[147] Nova Scotia
Board of Censors v. McNeil, [1976] 2
S.C.R. 265
[148] Minister
of Justice of Canada v. Borowski,
[1981] 2 S.C.R. 575
[149] Finlay
v. Canada (Minister of
Finance), [1986] 2 S.C.R. 607
[150] Canadian
Council of Churches v. Canada (Minister of Employment
and Immigration), [1992] 1 S.C.R. 236
[151] R.
v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd., [1985] 1 S.C.R. 295
[152] Vriend
v. Alberta, [1998] 1 S.C.R. 493
[153] Canadian
Egg Marketing Agency v. Richardson, [1998] 3 S.C.R. 157
[154] Citizens
Mining Council of Newfoundland & Labrador Inc. v. Canada (Minister of the
Environment) (1999), 163 F.T.R. 36 (Fed.
T.D.)
[155] Harris
v. Canada (2000), 187
D.L.R. (4th) 419 (F.C.A.)
EE.
Intervention
[156] Rules
of Civil Procedure (Ontario), Rule 13
[157] Federal
Courts Rules, Rule 109
[158] Rules
of the Supreme Court of Canada, SOR/83-74,
Rule 18 and Practice Direction
[159] Canadian Council of Professional
Engineers v. Memorial University of
Newfoundland
(1998), 135 F.T.R. 211 (T.D.)
[160] Ontario
Home Builders' Association v. York Region Board of Education,
[1996] 2 S.C.R. 929
FF.
Issue estoppel, collateral attack and abuse of process
[161] Danyluk
v. Ainsworth Technologies Inc., [2001] 2 S.C.R. 460
[162] R.
v. Consolidated Maybrun Mines Ltd., [1998] 1 S.C.R.
706
[163] Toronto (City) v. C.U.P.E., Local 79,
[2003] 3 S.C.R. 77
[164] R.
v. O'Connor, [1995] 4 S.C.R. 411
[165] R.
v. Seaboyer, [1991] 2 S.C.R. 577
[166] Grenier v. Canada (2005), 262
D.L.R. (4th) 337 (F.C.A.)
[167] TeleZone
Inc. v. Attorney General (Canada) (2008), 245 O.A.C. 91 (C.A.)
GG.
Preventing proceedings pending constitutional challenge;
interlocutory injunctions and stays
[168] RJR
- MacDonald Inc. v. Canada (Attorney
General), [1994] 1 S.C.R. 311
[169] 143471
Canada Inc. v. Quebec (Attorney General);
Tabah v. Quebec (Attorney General),
[1994] 2 S.C.R. 339
[170] Manitoba
(Attorney General) v. Metropolitan Stores (MTS)
Ltd., [1987] 1 S.C.R.
110
HH.
Finality of decisions, when court is functus, ongoing supervisory jurisdiction
[171] Ontario Rules
of Civil Procedure, RR. 37.14, 38.11, 52.01(3),
59.06
[172] Federal
Courts Rules, R. 399
[173] Chandler
v. Alberta Association
of Architects, [1989] 2 S.C.R. 848
[174] Doucet-Boudreau v. Nova Scotia (Minister
of Education), [2003] 3
S.C.R. 3
II.
Powers and jurisdiction of appellate or reviewing court, standard of
review for questions of fact, or mixed law and fact
[175] Housen v. Nikolaisen, [2002]
2 S.C.R. 235
[176] St-Jean v. Mercier,
[2002] 1 S.C.R. 491
[177] H.L. v. Canada (Attorney
General), [2005] 1 S.C.R. 401
[178] Multani v. Commission scolaire
Marguerite-Bourgeoys, [2006] 1 S.C.R. 256
[179] Dunsmuir v. New
Brunswick, [2008] 1 S.C.R. 190
[180] R. v. Grant, 2009 SCC 32
at para. 127
