Acker v. Registrar of Motor Vehicles (N.B.), (1991) 119 N.B.R.(2d) 77 (CA)

• Judge: Angers, Rice and Ryan, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (New Brunswick)
• Case Date: September 25, 1991
• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Citations: (1991), 119 N.B.R.(2d) 77 (CA)

Acker v. Reg. of Motor Vehicles (1991), 119 N.B.R.(2d) 77 (CA);

    119 R.N.-B.(2e) 77; 300 A.P.R. 77

MLB headnote and full text

[French language version follows English language version]

[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]

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Melvin Acker (appellant) v. The Registrar of Motor Vehicles in and for the Province of New Brunswick (respondent)

(244/90/CA)

Indexed As: Acker v. Registrar of Motor Vehicles (N.B.)

New Brunswick Court of Appeal

Angers, Rice and Ryan, JJ.A.

September 25, 1991.

Summary:

The Registrar of Motor Vehicles revoked Acker's driver's licence and indefinitely suspended his driving privileges. Acker applied to set aside the decision.

The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, in a judgment not reported in this series of reports, dismissed the application. Acker appealed.

The New Brunswick Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, set aside the Registrar's decision and ordered the Registrar to issue Acker a current driver's licence.

Administrative Law - Topic 2266

Natural justice - Duty of fairness - Pro­cedural fairness - What constitutes - The Registrar of Motor Vehicles received an R.C.M.P. report questioning Acker's driv­ing ability - The Motor Vehicle Act (s. 309) empowered the Registrar to order Acker to undergo an examination where there was "good cause" to believe he was unqualified - The Registrar notified Acker that his ability to drive was questioned because of his health and to submit to a medical examination and a driver's test - Acker passed the medical but failed the driver's test - Acker's licence was revoked - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal stated that the Registrar had good cause to require a medical, but not a driver's test - Procedural fairness required that Acker be informed of the intended action and be given an opportunity to be heard - The court set aside the revocation.

Motor Vehicles - Topic 7010

Licensing and regulation of drivers - Registrar of Motor Vehicles - Powers - [See Administrative Law - Topic 2266 ].

Motor Vehicles - Topic 7344

Licensing and regulation of drivers - Licence - Revocation of - Requirement of hearing - [See Administrative Law - Topic 2266 ].

Cases Noticed:

Christie v. Registrar of Motor Vehicles (N.B.) (1987), 78 N.B.R.(2d) 401; 198 A.P.R. 401 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 5].

Hamilton v. Canada (Attorney General) (1988), 91 N.R. 145 (F.C.A.), refd to. [para. 9].

Nicholson v. Haldimand-Norfolk Regional Board of Commissioners of Police, [1979] 1 S.C.R. 311; 23 N.R. 410; 88 D.L.R.(3d) 671, refd to. [para. 13].

Bates v. Lord Hailsham, [1972] 1 W.L.R. 1373, refd to. [para. 13].

Martineau v. Matsqui Institution Discipli­nary Board (No. 2), [1980] 1 S.C.R. 602; 30 N.R. 119; 50 C.C.C.(2d) 353; 106 D.L.R.(3d) 385, refd to. [para. 15].

Kane v. Board of Governors of the Uni­versity of British Columbia (1980), 31 N.R. 214 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 15].

Inuit Tapirisat of Canada v. Attorney Gen­eral of Canada (1980), 33 N.R. 304 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 15].

Township of Innisfil v. Township of Vespra (1981), 37 N.R. 43 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 15].

Udeco Inc. v. Quebec (1984), 55 N.R. 360 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 15].

Cardinal v. Director of Kent Institution, [1985] 2 S.C.R. 643; 63 N.R. 353, refd to. [para. 15].

Supermarches Jean Labrecque Inc. v. Tri­bunal du travail (1987), 78 N.R. 201 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 16].

Syndicat des employés de production du Québec et de l'Acadie v. Commission canadienne des droits de la personne (1989), 100 N.R. 241 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 16].

Knight v. Board of Education of Indian Head School Division No. 19, [1990] 1 S.C.R. 653; 106 N.R. 17; 83 Sask.R. 81 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 17].

Statutes Noticed:

Motor Vehicle Act, R.S.N.B. 1973, c. M-17, sect. 309 [para. 3].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Black's Law Dictionary (6th Ed. 1990) [para. 8].

Counsel:

Joel P. Hansen, for the appellant;

Michael D. Gorman, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on May 21, 1991, before Angers, Rice and Ryan, JJ.A., of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal.

On September 25, 1991, Ryan, J.A., delivered the following judgment for the Court of Appeal: