Arabian Company for Spare Parts and Maintenance v. Hariri, (2015) 433 N.B.R.(2d) 337 (TD)

• Judge: Morrison, J.
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick (Canada)
• Case Date: February 16, 2015
• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Citations: (2015), 433 N.B.R.(2d) 337 (TD);2015 NBQB 77

Arabian Co. v. Hariri (2015), 433 N.B.R.(2d) 337 (TD);

    433 R.N.-B.(2e) 337; 1130 A.P.R. 337

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Sommaire et texte intégral

[French language version follows English language version]

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

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Temp. Cite: [2015] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. AP.014

Renvoi temp.: [2015] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. AP.014

Arabian Company for Spare Parts and Maintenance, a Body Corporate Duly Incorporated under and by Virtue of the Laws of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (plaintiff) v. Nizar Hassan Hariri (defendant)

(F/C/71/2012; 2015 NBQB 77; 2015 NBBR 77)

Indexed As: Arabian Company for Spare Parts and Maintenance v. Hariri

Répertorié: Arabian Company for Spare Parts and Maintenance v. Hariri

New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench

Trial Division

Judicial District of Fredericton

Morrison, J.

March 25, 2015.

Summary:

Résumé:

The plaintiff obtained a judgment against the defendant in Saudi Arabia. The plaintiff's action sought to enforce the judgment under the Foreign Judgments Act. The defendant moved for summary judgment to dismiss the action.

The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, denied the motion.

Conflict of Laws - Topic 6606

Foreign judgments - General - Recognition of judgment of foreign state - The plaintiff obtained a judgment against the defendant in Saudi Arabia - The plaintiff's action sought to enforce the judgment under the Foreign Judgments Act - The defendant moved for summary judgment to dismiss the action - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, denied the motion - A motion for summary judgment under rule 22.01(3) was granted only where the pleadings disclosed no grounds for the action or the defendant raised an absolute defence - In his affidavit in support of the motion, the defendant raised the defences contained in s. 5 of the Act - However, s. 5 and the defences were not pled in the statement of defence - The motion was denied on that basis - However, the court also addressed the merits of the motion, finding that the defendant's argument that the Saudi judgment was not a final one was not beyond dispute and depended on an interpretation of Saudi Arabian law - Even if ss. 5(d) and 5(f) had been pled, summary judgment would not have been granted - Finally, whether or not the defendant had been served with the original action in Saudi Arabia and had appeared there was a factual issue that was not abundantly clear - The motion would have been denied under ss. 5(b) and 5(i) as well - See paragraphs 11 to 28.

Conflict of Laws - Topic 6606

Foreign judgments - General - Recognition of judgment of foreign state - The plaintiff sought "an Order that the Foreign Judgment obtained by the Plaintiff in Saudi Arabia against the Defendant be registered as Judgment of this Court..." - The defendant relied on Ward v. Nackawic Mechanical Ltd. (2015 N.B.C.A.), which held that, under the Foreign Judgments Act, there was no authority for the registration of a foreign judgment, to argue that the plaintiff sought a remedy that the court lacked jurisdiction to grant and that, therefore, it was appropriate to grant summary judgment, dismissing the action - The plaintiff asserted that the appropriate course was to deny summary judgment so as to enable the plaintiff to move to amend its statement of claim - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, agreed with the plaintiff, denying the defendant's motion for summary judgment - See paragraphs 29 to 34.

Conflict of Laws - Topic 6663

Foreign judgments - Action on foreign judgment - Bars or defences - [See first Conflict of Laws - Topic 6606 ].

Courts - Topic 5735

Provincial courts - New Brunswick - Supreme Court or Court of Queen's Bench - Jurisdiction - General - [See second Conflict of Laws - Topic 6606 ].

Practice - Topic 5702

Judgments and orders - Summary judgments - Jurisdiction or when available or when appropriate - [See first Conflict of Laws - Topic 6606 ].

Practice - Topic 5718

Judgments and orders - Summary judgments - Pleading - Defence - [See first Conflict of Laws - Topic 6606 ].

Practice - Topic 5719

Judgments and orders - Summary judgments - To dismiss action - [See first Conflict of Laws - Topic 6606 ].

Practice - Topic 5921

Judgments and orders - Enforcement of foreign judgments - General (incl. what constitutes a foreign judgment) - [See first Conflict of Laws - Topic 6606 ].

Practice - Topic 5928

Judgments and orders - Enforcement of foreign judgments - Defences - [See first Conflict of Laws - Topic 6606 ].

Droit international privé - Cote 6606

Jugements étrangers - Généralités - Reconnaissance des jugements rendus dans un état étranger - [Voir Conflict of Laws - Topic 6606 ].

Droit international privé - Cote 6663

Jugements étrangers - Action fondée sur jugement étranger - Bars ou défenses - [Voir Conflict of Laws - Topic 6663 ].

Procédure - Cote 5702

Jugements et ordonnances - Jugements sommaires - Compétence ou conditions d'ouverture ou opportunité - [Voir Practice - Topic 5702 ].

Procédure - Cote 5718

Jugements et ordonnances - Jugements sommaires - Plaidoirie - Défense - [Voir Practice - Topic 5718 ].

Procédure - Cote 5719

Jugements et ordonnances - Jugements sommaires - En vue du rejet de l'action - [Voir Practice - Topic 5719 ].

Procédure - Cote 5921

Jugements et ordonnances - Exécution des jugements étrangers - Généralités - [Voir Practice - Topic 5921 ].

Procédure - Cote 5928

Jugements et ordonnances - Exécution des jugements étrangers - Défenses - [Voir Practice - Topic 5928 ].

Tribunaux - Cote 5735

Tribunaux provinciaux - Nouveau-Brunswick - Cour Suprême ou Cour du Banc de la Reine - Compétence - Généralités - [Voir Courts - Topic 5735 ].

Cases Noticed:

Cannon v. Lange et al. (1998), 203 N.B.R.(2d) 121; 518 A.P.R. 121 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 12].

MacWilliams v. AMEC Americas Ltd. (2012), 388 N.B.R.(2d) 254; 1006 A.P.R. 254 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 13].

Shareline Systems Ltd. v. New Brunswick et al. (2001), 235 N.B.R.(2d) 162; 607 A.P.R. 162 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 14].

Morrow v. Aviva Canada Inc. (2004), 279 N.B.R.(2d) 77; 732 A.P.R. 77 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 14].

Corcoran v. Gerwill Ltd., LeBlanc and LeBlanc (1983), 45 N.B.R.(2d) 86; 118 A.P.R. 86 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 15].

Murray et al. v. Moncton (City) (1993), 140 N.B.R.(2d) 282; 358 A.P.R. 282 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 15].

Waugh et al. v. Canadian Broadcasting Corp. et al. (2000), 224 N.B.R.(2d) 391; 574 A.P.R. 391 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 17].

United States of America v. Kinsella (2007), 322 N.B.R.(2d) 131; 829 A.P.R. 131; 2007 NBCA 78, refd to. [para. 21].

Ward v. Nackawic Mechanical Ltd. (2015), 429 N.B.R.(2d) 228; 1119 A.P.R. 228; 2015 NBCA 1, refd to. [para. 30].

Counsel:

Avocats:

K. Chipp McCrea, for the plaintiff;

Joshua J.B. McElman and Steven D. Pearce, for the defendant.

This motion was heard on February 16, 2015, by Morrison, J., of the New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, Judicial District of Fredericton, who delivered the following decision on March 25, 2015.