EGALE Canada Inc. et al. v. Canada (Attorney General) et al., 2001 BCSC 1365

JudgePitfield, J.
CourtSupreme Court of British Columbia (Canada)
Case DateAugust 03, 2001
JurisdictionBritish Columbia
Citations2001 BCSC 1365;[2001] B.C.T.C. 1365 (SC)

EGALE Can. Inc. v. Can. (A.G.), [2001] B.C.T.C. 1365 (SC)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2001] B.C.T.C. TBEd. OC.064

EGALE Canada Inc. David Shortt and Shane McCloskey Melinda Roy and Tanya Chambers Lloyd Thornhill and Robert Peacock Robin Roberts and Diana Denny Wendy Young and Mary Theresa Healy (petitioners) v. The Attorney General of Canada, The Attorney General of British Columbia and and The Director of Vital Statistics for British Columbia (respondents)

(L002698)

Dawn Barbeau and Elizabeth Barbeau Peter Cook and Murray Warren Jane Hamilton and Joy Masuhara (petitioners) v. The Attorney General of British Columbia and The Attorney General of Canada (respondents)

(L003197; 2001 BCSC 1365)

Indexed As: EGALE Canada Inc. et al. v. Canada (Attorney General) et al.

British Columbia Supreme Court

Vancouver

Pitfield, J.

October 2, 2001.

Summary:

This headnote contains no summary.

Civil Rights - Topic 1208.1

Security of the person - General- Marriage - See paragraphs 1 to 215.

Civil Rights - Topic 2156.1

Freedom of association - Limitations on - Marriage - See paragraphs 1 to 215.

Civil Rights - Topic 5659.1

Equality and protection of the law - Particular cases - Marriage - See paragraphs 1 to 215.

Civil Rights - Topic 8348

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Application - Exceptions - Reasonable limits prescribed by law (Charter, s. 1) - See paragraphs 1 to 215.

Constitutional Law - Topic 6411

Federal jurisdiction (s. 91) - Marriage and divorce - General - See paragraphs 1 to 215.

Family Law - Topic 167

Marriage - Prohibited marriages - Same-sex couples - See paragraphs 1 to 215.

Cases Noticed:

M. v. H., [1999] 2 S.C.R. 3; 238 N.R. 179; 121 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 58].

Hyde v. Hyde and Woodmansee (1866), L.R. 1 P. & D. 130 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 75].

Corbett v. Corbett, [1970] 2 All E.R. 33 (P.D. & A. Div.), refd to. [para. 76].

Keddie v. Currie (1991), 3 B.C.A.C. 291; 7 W.A.C. 291; 60 B.C.L.R.(2d) 1 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 77].

R. v. Salituro, [1991] 3 S.C.R. 654; 131 N.R. 161; 50 O.A.C. 125, refd to. [para. 89].

Hill v. Church of Scientology of Toronto and Manning, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 1130; 184 N.R. 1; 84 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 90].

Edwards v. Canada (Attorney General), [1930] A.C. 124 (P.C.), refd to. [para. 105].

Marriage Act of Canada, Re, [1912] A.C. 880 (P.C.), refd to. [para. 113].

North et al. v. Matheson (1974), 52 D.L.R.(3d) 280 (Man. Co. Ct.), refd to. [para. 114].

Layland v. Ontario (Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations) (1993), 14 O.R.(3d) 658 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 115].

Egan and Nesbit v. Canada, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 513; 182 N.R. 161, refd to. [para. 120].

Reference Re Roman Catholic Separate High Schools Funding, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 1148; 77 N.R. 241; 22 O.A.C. 321, refd to. [para. 123].

Reference Re Bill 30, An Act to Amend the Education Act (Ont.) - see Reference Re Roman Catholic Separate High Schools Funding.

Adler et al. v. Ontario et al., [1996] 3 S.C.R. 609; 204 N.R. 81; 95 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 123].

R. v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd., [1985] 1 S.C.R. 295; 58 N.R. 81; 60 A.R. 161, refd to. [para. 130].

Haig et al. v. Canada; Haig et al. v. Kingsley, [1993] 2 S.C.R. 995; 156 N.R. 81, refd to. [para. 132].

Black & Co. v. Law Society of Alberta, [1986] 3 W.W.R. 590; 68 A.R. 259 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 135].

Reference Re Compulsory Arbitration, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 313; 74 N.R. 99; 78 A.R. 1, refd to. [para. 136].

Reference Re Public Service Employee Relations Act (Alta.) - see Reference Re Compulsory Arbitration.

R. v. M.S. (1996), 84 B.C.A.C. 104; 137 W.A.C. 104 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 137].

Catholic Children's Aid Society of Metropolitan Toronto v. T.S. and C.S. et al. (1989), 33 O.A.C. 213 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 137].

R. v. Morgentaler, [1988] 1 S.C.R. 30; 82 N.R. 1; 26 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 146].

Rodriguez v. British Columbia (Attorney General) et al., [1993] 3 S.C.R. 519; 158 N.R. 1; 34 B.C.A.C. 1; 56 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 146].

Godbout v. Longueuil (Ville), [1997] 3 S.C.R. 844; 219 N.R. 1, refd to. [para. 146].

Blencoe v. Human Rights Commission (B.C.) et al., [2000] 2 S.C.R. 307; 260 N.R. 1; 141 B.C.A.C. 161; 231 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 146].

Loving v. Virginia (1967), 388 U.S. 1, refd to. [para. 149].

Law v. Minister of Employment and Immigration, [1999] 1 S.C.R. 497; 236 N.R. 1, refd to. [para. 158].

Andrews v. Law Society of British Columbia, [1989] 1 S.C.R. 143; 91 N.R. 255, refd to. [para. 182].

RJR-MacDonald Inc. et Imperial Tobacco Ltd. v. Canada (Procureur général), [1995] 3 S.C.R. 199; 187 N.R. 1, refd to. [para. 183].

Thomson Newspapers Co. et al. v. Canada (Attorney General), [1998] 1 S.C.R. 877; 226 N.R. 1; 109 O.A.C. 201, refd to. [para. 184].

R. v. Oakes, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 103; 65 N.R. 87; 14 O.A.C. 335, refd to. [para. 199].

Miron and Valliere v. Trudel et al., [1995] 2 S.C.R. 418; 181 N.R. 253; 81 O.A.C. 253, refd to. [para. 208].

Statutes Noticed:

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982, sect. 1 [para. 181]; sect. 7 [para. 144]; sect. 15(1), sect. 15(2) [para. 157].

Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act, S.C. 2000, c. 12, sect. 1.1 [para. 72].

Counsel:

Cynthia A. Petersen, Joseph J. Arvay, Q.C., and Kathryn J. Chapman, for the petitioners in Action No. L002698;

Barbara Findlay and Kathleen Lahey, for the petitioners in Action No. L003197;

Harvey Groberman, Q.C., and Leah Greathead, for the respondents, the Attorney General of British Columbia and Director of Vital Statistics (B.C.);

Judith M. Bowers, Q.C., Wendy Divoky, Steven Postman, and Keitha Richardson, for the respondent, the Attorney General of Canada;

Iain Benson and Peter R. Jervis, for the intervenors, Interfaith Coalition for Marriage;

D. Geoffrey Cowper, Q.C., and Cindy Silver, for the B.C. Coalition for Marriage/Family.

These petitions were heard on July 23 to 27, 2001, and July 30 to August 3, 2001, at Vancouver, British Columbia, before Pitfield, J., of the British Columbia Supreme Court, who delivered the following reasons for judgment on October 2, 2001.

Please note: The following judgment has not been edited.

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    ...251 EGALE Canada Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General), [2001] 11 W.W.R. 685, 95 B.C.L.R. (3d) 122, 2001 BCSC 1365...................... 9 El Ajou v. Dollar Land Holdings, [1994] 2 All E.R. 685 (C.A.) .......................... 231 El Jawhary v. BCCI, [1993] B.C.L.C. 396 (Ch. D.) ....................
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    • November 23, 2011
    ...2(b). [1101] The AGBC responds that Mr. Justice Pitfield dismissed a similar argument in EGALE Canada Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General) 2001 BCSC 1365 [ EGALE ] at para. 132, where he held that "the words 'freedom of expression' are not apt to describe the formalization of the legal relatio......
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    ...Canada (Attorney General) (2002), 60 OR (3d) 321 (Div Ct) at paras 30–31, 33, 72, and 212; EGALE Canada Inc v Canada (Attorney General) , 2001 BCSC 1365 at paras 134–39; Barbeau v British Columbia (Attorney General) , 2003 BCCA 406 at paras 97–100. 40 [1997] 3 SCR 844 at para 68. 41 [1988] ......
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    • University of New Brunswick Law Journal No. 58, January 2008
    • January 1, 2008
    ...of "interest groups" such as women, gays and lesbians, and Aboriginal persons. (23) EGALE Canada Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General). 2001 BCSC 1365, 11 W.W.R. 685, 95 B.C.L.R. (3d) (24) C. Mathen, "Developments in Constitutional Law--The 2004-2005 Term: A Court in Transition" (2005) 50 Sup. ......
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1 cases
  • Reference Re Criminal Code, s. 293, [2011] B.C.T.C. Uned. 1588
    • Canada
    • Supreme Court of British Columbia (Canada)
    • November 23, 2011
    ...2(b). [1101] The AGBC responds that Mr. Justice Pitfield dismissed a similar argument in EGALE Canada Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General) 2001 BCSC 1365 [ EGALE ] at para. 132, where he held that "the words 'freedom of expression' are not apt to describe the formalization of the legal relatio......
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    • Canada
    • Irwin Books Bank and Customer Law in Canada. Second Edition
    • June 19, 2013
    ...251 EGALE Canada Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General), [2001] 11 W.W.R. 685, 95 B.C.L.R. (3d) 122, 2001 BCSC 1365...................... 9 El Ajou v. Dollar Land Holdings, [1994] 2 All E.R. 685 (C.A.) .......................... 231 El Jawhary v. BCCI, [1993] B.C.L.C. 396 (Ch. D.) ....................
  • Notes
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books A Cruel Arithmetic. Inside the Case Against Polygamy
    • June 19, 2012
    ...Canada (Attorney General) (2002), 60 OR (3d) 321 (Div Ct) at paras 30–31, 33, 72, and 212; EGALE Canada Inc v Canada (Attorney General) , 2001 BCSC 1365 at paras 134–39; Barbeau v British Columbia (Attorney General) , 2003 BCCA 406 at paras 97–100. 40 [1997] 3 SCR 844 at para 68. 41 [1988] ......
  • Choices and controversy: judicial appointments in Canada.
    • Canada
    • University of New Brunswick Law Journal No. 58, January 2008
    • January 1, 2008
    ...of "interest groups" such as women, gays and lesbians, and Aboriginal persons. (23) EGALE Canada Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General). 2001 BCSC 1365, 11 W.W.R. 685, 95 B.C.L.R. (3d) (24) C. Mathen, "Developments in Constitutional Law--The 2004-2005 Term: A Court in Transition" (2005) 50 Sup. ......
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