Canadian Broadcasting Corp. v. Summerside (City), (1999) 173 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 56 (PEITD)

• Judge: Jenkins, J.
• Case Date: January 11, 1998
• Jurisdiction: Prince Edward Island
• Citations: (1999), 173 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 56 (PEITD)

CBC v. Summerside (1999), 173 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 56 (PEITD);

    530 A.P.R. 56

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [1999] Nfld. & P.E.I.R. TBEd. JA.018

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, a body corporate, Southam Inc., carrying on business under the name of The Guardian and Southam Inc. (applicants) v. The City of Summerside (respondent)

(GSC-17077)

Indexed As: Canadian Broadcasting Corp. v. Summerside (City)

Prince Edward Island Supreme Court

Trial Division

Jenkins, J.

January 13, 1999.

Summary:

Section 27(v) of the Summerside Police Department Rules and Regulations regarding police discipline mandated in-camera disci­plinary hearings. The applicant media cor­porations sought a declaration that s. 27(v) was invalid and of no force and effect because it violated the media freedom aspect of s. 2(b) of the Charter.

The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court, Trial Division, held that s. 27(v) of the Summerside Police Department Rules and Regulations infringed s. 2(b) of the Charter and could not be justified under s. 1 of the Charter.

Civil Rights - Topic 2484

Freedom of the press - Limitations - Public hearings - Section 27(v) of the Sum­merside Police Department Rules and Regulations regarding police discipline mandated in-camera disciplinary hearings - The applicant media corporations sought a declaration that s. 27(v) was invalid and of no force and effect because it violated the media freedom aspect of s. 2(b) of the Charter - The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court, Trial Division, held that s. 27(v) violated s. 2(b) of the Charter and could not be justified under s. 1 of the Charter - Section 27(v) was therefore of no force or effect - It remained for the City Council to enact a process for hear­ings that was consistent with s. 2(b) of the Charter -In the absence of statutory direction, an adjudicator selected under the discipline procedure had the power to exercise his discretion on the matter, con­sistent with Charter guarantees - See paragraphs 40 to 49.

Civil Rights - Topic 8317

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - General - Application - Administrative law, including boards, tribunals and Crown corporations - Section 27(v) of the Sum­merside Police Department Rules and Regulations regarding police discipline mandated in-camera disciplinary hearings -The applicant media corporations sought a declaration that s. 27(v) was invalid and of no force and effect because it violated the media freedom aspect of s. 2(b) of the Charter - At issue was whether the Charter applied - The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court, Trial Division, held that s. 27(v) engaged the principle of openness under s. 2(b) of the Charter where, inter alia, the discipline procedure contemplated judicial proceedings involv­ing matters of public importance - See paragraphs 20 to 39.

Civil Rights - Topic 8317

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - General - Application - Administrative law, including boards, tribunals and Crown corporations - The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court, Trial Division, held that s. 2 of the Charter applied to some types of statutory tribunals exercising quasi-judicial functions - However, the court contem­plated some limits on the administrative tribunals covered by the requirement for openness - It was important to consider an enactment on a functional basis, to look at the language and scheme of the legislation for the function being performed, the nature and magnitude of the right affected, the level of public interest in the proceed­ing compared with domestic and internal considerations in the issue which is the subject matter of the hearing and the structural issue of whether the prescribed hearing process invoked natural justice requirements - See paragraph 38.

Civil Rights - Topic 8348

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Application - Exceptions - Reasonable limits prescribed by law (Charter, s. 1) - [See Civil Rights - Topic 2484 ].

Civil Rights - Topic 8380.2

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Denial of rights - Remedies - Declar­ation of statute invalidity - [See Civil Rights - Topic 2484 ].

Police - Topic 4143

Internal organization - Discipline - Boards - Jurisdiction - [See Civil Rights - Topic 2484 ].

Police - Topic 4181

Internal organization - Discipline - Hear­ings - General - [See Civil Rights - Topic 2484 ].

Police - Topic 4268

Internal organization - Discipline - Pro­cedure - Disclosure of information to public - [See Civil Rights - Topic 2484 ].

Cases Noticed:

Griffin v. Director of Police Services (Summerside) et al. (1998), 164 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 1; 507 A.P.R. 1 (P.E.I.T.D.), refd to. [para. 8].

Trumbley and Pugh et al. v. Toronto Police Force et al., [1987] 2 S.C.R. 577; 81 N.R. 212; 24 O.A.C. 372; 45 D.L.R.(4th) 318, refd to. [para. 9].

Southam Inc. et al. v. Canada (Attorney General) (1997), 45 O.T.C. 52; 36 O.R.(3d) 721 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 9].

R. v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd., [1985] 1 S.C.R. 295; 58 N.R. 81; 60 A.R. 161; [1985] 3 W.W.R. 481; 18 C.C.C.(3d) 385; 18 D.L.R.(4th) 321; 37 Alta. L.R.(2d) 97; 85 C.L.L.C. 14,023; 13 C.R.R. 64, refd to. [para. 11].

Edmonton Journal v. Alberta (Attorney General), [1989] 2 S.C.R. 1326; 102 N.R. 321; 103 A.R. 321; 64 D.L.R.(4th) 577; [1990] 1 W.W.R. 577; 71 Alta. L.R.(2d) 273; 45 C.R.R. 1, refd to. [para. 14].

Canadian Broadcasting Corp. v. New Brunswick (Attorney General), [1996] 3 S.C.R. 480; 203 N.R. 169; 182 N.B.R.(2d) 81; 463 A.P.R. 81; 110 C.C.C.(3d) 193; 2 C.R.(5th) 1, refd to. [para. 16].

Canadian Broadcasting Corp. v. Dagenais et al., [1994] 3 S.C.R. 835; 175 N.R. 1; 76 O.A.C. 81; 94 C.C.C.(3d) 289; 120 D.L.R.(4th) 12; 25 C.R.R.(2d) 1, refd to. [para. 16].

Godfrey v. Ontario Police Commission et al. (1991), 53 O.A.C. 338; 5 O.R.(3d) 163 (Div. Ct.), refd to. [para. 17].

Ottawa (City) Commissioners of Police v. Lalande (1986), 57 O.R.(2d) 509 (Dist. Ct.), refd to. [para. 24].

Pacific Press Ltd. et al. v. Minister of Employment and Immigration et al. (No. 3) (1991), 127 N.R. 325 (F.C.A.), refd to. [para. 25].

Southam Inc. et al. v. Minister of Employ­ment and Immigration et al., [1987] 3 F.C. 329; 13 F.T.R. 138 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 25].

Coopers and Lybrand v. Minister of Na­tional Revenue, [1979] 1 S.C.R. 495; 24 N.R. 163, refd to. [para. 25].

MacIntyre v. Nova Scotia (Attorney Gen­eral) and Grainger and Canada (Attorney General) et al., [1982] 1 S.C.R. 175; 40 N.R. 181; 49 N.S.R.(2d) 609; 96 A.P.R. 609; 65 C.C.C.(2d) 129; 132 D.L.R.(3d) 385, refd to. [para. 25].

Travers et al. v. Canada (Board of Inquiry on the Activities of the Canadian Air­borne Regiment Battle Group in Somalia) et al., [1993] 3 F.C. 528; 80 F.T.R. 145 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 26].

R. v. Oakes, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 103; 65 N.R. 87; 14 O.A.C. 335; 26 D.L.R.(4th) 200; 50 C.R.(3d) 1; 24 C.C.C.(3d) 321; 19 C.R.R. 308, appld. [para. 41].

Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. et al. v. Kenney et al., [1990] 1 F.C. 425; 33 F.T.R. 194 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 48].

Armadale Communications Ltd. et al. v. Minister of Employment and Immigra­tion (1991), 127 N.R. 342; 83 D.L.R.(4th) 440 (F.C.A.), refd to. [para. 48].

Statutes Noticed:

Summerside (City) Bylaws, Police Bylaw No. 70-26-84-3, Rules and Regulations, sect. 27(v) [para. 2].

Counsel:

Douglas Lutz, for the applicants;

Benjamin B. Taylor, Q.C., and Sherry E. Gillis, for the respondent.

This application was heard in Summerside, P.E.I., on January 11, 1998, before Jenkins, J., of the Prince Edward Island Supreme Court, Trial Division, who delivered the following judgment on January 13, 1999.