D. et al. v. Nova Scotia (Minister of Community Services) et al., 2015 NSSC 74

• Judge: Warner, J.
• Court: Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: December 01, 2014
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: 2015 NSSC 74;(2015), 357 N.S.R.(2d) 152 (SC)

D. v. N.S. (2015), 357 N.S.R.(2d) 152 (SC);

    1127 A.P.R. 152

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2015] N.S.R.(2d) TBEd. MR.027

In the matter of the Application for Adoption under the Children and Family Services Act of the person whose birth is registered as 2010

D. and A. v. Minister of Community Services and M. v Minister of Community Services

(CFSA 093109; 2015 NSSC 74)

Indexed As: D. et al. v. Nova Scotia (Minister of Community Services) et al.

Nova Scotia Supreme Court

Warner, J.

March 10, 2015.

Summary:

A grandmother and foster parents sought standing as parties or intervenors to contest the adoption application of a four-year old Millbrook First Nation child.

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court dismissed the applications for standing.

Editor's Note: Certain names in the following case have been initialized or the case otherwise edited to prevent the disclosure of identities where required by law, publication ban, Maritime Law Book's editorial policy or otherwise.

Administrative Law - Topic 2270

Natural justice - The duty of fairness - Circumstances or powers to which duty does not apply - [See Family Law - Topic 1705 ].

Family Law - Topic 1401

Adoption - General - Legislation - [See Family Law - Topic 1705 ].

Family Law - Topic 1422

Adoption - Jurisdiction - Parens patriae jurisdiction of courts - [See Family Law - Topic 1705 ].

Family Law - Topic 1703

Adoption - Practice - Intervenors - [See Family Law - Topic 1705 ].

Family Law - Topic 1705

Adoption - Practice - Standing - A grandmother (M) and foster parents (D and A) sought standing as parties or intervenors to contest the adoption application of a four-year old Millbrook First Nation child (B) - The Nova Scotia Supreme Court dismissed the applications - The relevant legislative provisions (ss. 67 to 87 and 106 of the Children and Family Services Act (CFSA)) did not authorize persons such as the applicants to be parties or intervenors in an adoption proceeding - Civil Procedure Rule 35 could not create authority to join persons as parties or intervenors contrary to the relevant legislation - The court also rejected the applicants' submission that the court should exercise its parens patriae jurisdiction - There was no legislative gap in the CFSA respecting adoption proceedings - The court also discussed the issue of the Agency's conduct - It appeared that the Agency had promised to effectively "stay" the adoption proceeding until M, D and A had filed Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act applications and received the Agency's records respecting B and the Agency's decision to remove B from D and A's foster care - Shortly after M, D and A had received redacted records, the Agency shortened the required waiting period for the filing of a Notice of Proposed Adoption by the proposed adopting parents and recommended the adoption - Any possibility that the applicants could return to the Family Court under the child protection proceedings and seek to terminate the permanent care was therefore lost - The court stated, inter alia, that "The difficulty with this decision arises not from whether the proposed intervenors have been dealt with fairly by the Agency. The court in G(T) [2012 NSCA] at para. 155 describes an adoption process for a child in the Agency's care. That process does not contemplate consideration of procedural unfairness to the applicants".

Guardian and Ward - Topic 5333

Foster homes and parents - Foster parents - Status or standing - [See Family Law - Topic 1705 ].

Guardian and Ward - Topic 5337

Foster homes and parents - Foster parents - Rights re adoption - [See Family Law - Topic 1705 ].

Cases Noticed:

Parker Mountain Aggregates Ltd. v. Nova Scotia (Minister of Environment) (2010), 292 N.S.R.(2d) 298; 925 A.P.R. 298; 2010 NSSC 277, refd to. [para. 35].

I.C. et al. v. Children's Aid Society of Shelburne County et al. (2001), 196 N.S.R.(2d) 70; 613 A.P.R. 70; 2001 NSCA 108, refd to. [para. 37].

Beson et al. v. Director of Child Welfare (Nfld.), [1982] 2 S.C.R. 716; 44 N.R. 602; 39 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 246; 111 A.P.R. 246, refd to. [para. 40].

A.R.-R. et al. v. Nova Scotia (Minister of Community Services) (2008), 262 N.S.R.(2d) 1; 839 A.P.R. 1; 2008 NSSC 20, refd to. [para. 40].

Nova Scotia (Minister of Community Services) v. A.B. (2011), 301 N.S.R.(2d) 59; 953 A.P.R. 59; 2011 NSSC 114, refd to. [para. 40].

Children's Aid Society of London and Middlesex, Re, [2010] O.T.C. Uned. 1348; 2010 ONSC 1348, refd to. [para. 40].

D.W.H. v. D.J.R. et al. (2013), 556 A.R. 81; 584 W.A.C. 81; 2013 ABCA 240, refd to. [para. 40].

D.J.N. v. Canada, 1996 CanLII 3083 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 40].

Nova Scotia (Minister of Community Services) v. T.H. et al. (2010), 293 N.S.R.(2d) 200; 928 A.P.R. 200; 2010 NSCA 63, refd to. [para. 42].

Children and Family Services of Colchester County v. K.T. (2010), 294 N.S.R.(2d) 379; 933 A.P.R. 379; 2010 NSCA 72, refd to. [para. 42].

P.H. v. Nova Scotia (Minister of Community Services) et al. (2013), 332 N.S.R.(2d) 134; 1052 A.P.R. 134; 2013 NSCA 83, refd to. [para. 42].

T.G. v. Nova Scotia (Minister of Community Services) et al. (2012), 316 N.S.R.(2d) 202; 1002 A.P.R. 202; 2012 NSCA 43, refd to. [para. 45].

T.O.K. et al. v. British Columbia et al., [2003] B.C.T.C. 1248; 2003 BCSC 1248, refd to. [para. 50].

Speck v. Speck, [1983] B.C.J. No. 22 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 50].

R.B. v. Children's Aid Society of Halifax et al. (2003), 214 N.S.R.(2d) 335; 671 A.P.R. 335; 2003 NSCA 49, refd to. [para. 54].

C.M. v. Nova Scotia (Minister of Community Services) (2011), 304 N.S.R.(2d) 222; 960 A.P.R. 222; 2011 NSSC 222, refd to. [para. 54].

Nova Scotia (Minister of Community Services) v. N.N.M. and R.D.M. (2008), 262 N.S.R.(2d) 384; 839 A.P.R. 384; 2008 NSSC 72 (Fam. Div.), dist . [para. 58].

Eve, Re, [1986] 2 S.C.R. 388; 71 N.R. 1; 61 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 273; 185 A.P.R. 273, refd to. [para. 65].

Children's Aid Society and Family Services of Colchester County v. D.T. - see D.T., Re.

D.T., Re (1992), 113 N.S.R.(2d) 74; 309 A.P.R. 74; 1992 CarswellNS 544 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 67].

Mi'kmaw Family and Children's Services v. B.L. et al. (2012), 323 N.S.R.(2d) 330; 1025 A.P.R. 330; 2012 NSSC 412, refd to. [para. 71].

Nova Scotia (Minister of Community Services) v. N.N.M. and R.D.M. (2008), 268 N.S.R.(2d) 109; 857 A.P.R. 109; 2008 NSCA 69, dist. [para. 91].

Statutes Noticed:

Children and Family Services Act, S.N.S. 1990, c. 5, sect. 67, sect. 68, sect. 68A, sect. 69, sect. 70, sect. 70A, sect. 71, sect. 72, sect. 73, sect. 74, sect. 75, sect. 76, sect. 77, sect. 78, sect. 78A, sect. 79, sect. 80, sect. 81, sect. 82, sect. 83, sect. 84, sect. 85, sect. 86, sect. 87, sect. 106 [para. 60].

Civil Procedure Rules (N.S.), rule 35.08, rule 35.10 [para. 33].

Counsel:

Paul Morris, for Mi'kmaw Family and Children Services;

Jennifer Reid, for D. and A.;

Susanne M. Litke and Thomas Saunders (student), for M.;

R. Michael MacKenzie and Zachary Chisholm A/C, for the proposed adopting parents;

Angela Swantee, for the Minister of Community Services.

These applications were heard on December 1, 2014, at Kentville, N.S., before Warner, J., of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, who delivered the following decision on March 10, 2015.