Guimond v. Québec (Procureur général), (1996) 201 N.R. 380 (SCC)

• Judge: Lamer, C.J.C., La Forest, L'Heureux-Dubé, Sopinka, Gonthier, Cory, McLachlin, Iacobucci and Major, JJ.
• Court: Supreme Court (Canada)
• Case Date: October 03, 1996
• Jurisdiction: Canada (Federal)
• Citations: (1996), 201 N.R. 380 (SCC);201 NR 380;22 MVR (3d) 251;38 CRR (2d) 212;43 Admin LR (2d) 44;JE 96-1983;32 WCB (2d) 89;138 DLR (4th) 647;110 CCC (3d) 223;65 ACWS (3d) 718;3 CPC (4th) 1;[1996] SCJ No 91 (QL);AZ-96111109;1996 CanLII 175 (SCC);[1996] 3 SCR 347

Guimond v. Qué. (P.g.) (1996), 201 N.R. 380 (SCC)

MLB headnote and full text

[French language version follows English language version]

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

....................

Le Procureur général du Québec (appelant) v. Jocelyn Guimond (intimé)

(24625)

Indexed As: Guimond v. Québec (Procureur général)

Supreme Court of Canada

Lamer, C.J.C., La Forest, L'Heureux-Dubé, Sopinka, Gonthier, Cory, McLachlin, Iacobucci and Major, JJ.

October 3, 1996.

Summary:

Guimond was convicted of 34 offences under the Highway Safety Code (Que.) and was fined. He paid a few small fines but left the rest unpaid. Guimond was then sen­tenced to 346 days in jail. He was released conditionally after 49 days. He moved for judicial authorization under art. 1003 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Que.) to initiate a class action for damages to redress the alleged constitutional invalidity of his de­tention (and the detention of other members of the class) on the basis that the term of his detention contravened ss. 7, 9 and 12 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and ss. 1, 24 and 25 of the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms (Que.). Guimond's action sought both a declaration of constitutional invalidity under s. 52 of the Constitution Act, 1982 and compensatory and moral damages under art. 1053 of the Civil Code of Lower Canada and s. 24(1) of the Canadian Charter.

The Quebec Superior Court dismissed Guimond's motion. Guimond appealed.

The Quebec Court of Appeal, Delisle, J.A., dissenting, in a judgment reported [1995] R.J.Q. 380; 123 D.L.R.(4th) 236, allowed the appeal. The Quebec Attorney General ap­pealed.

The Supreme Court of Canada allowed the appeal.

Crown - Topic 2448

Liability of Crown arising out of the en­forcement of statutes - When liable - Unconstitutional statutes - [See Quebec Procedure - Topic 9029 ].

Quebec Procedure - Topic 9029

Class action - Authorization to institute class action - Facts alleged seem to justify the conclusions sought - Guimond com­plained that his jail term (and that of others) for failure to pay fines for traffic offences violated the Quebec and the Canadian Charters - He sought authori­zation to institute a class action for a declaration of constitutional invalidity and for dam­ages under the Civil Code of Lower Canada and the Canadian Charter - The Supreme Court of Canada affirmed the trial judge's decision to dismiss the motion because of absence of "good colour of right" - The court held that the judge properly exercised his discretion because, as a general rule, an action will not lie "for damages arising from the enactment of laws subsequently determined to be un­constitutional".

Cases Noticed:

Berdah v. Nolisair International Inc., [1991] R.D.J. 417 (Que. C.A.), consd. [para. 9].

Pérusse v. Commissaire d'écoles de St-Léonard de Port-Maurice, [1970] C.A. 324 (Que.), consd. [para. 9].

Comité régional des usagers des transports en commun de Québec v. Commission des transports de la Communauté ur­baine de Québec, [1981] 1 S.C.R. 424; 37 N.R. 608, consd. [para. 10].

Comité d'environnement de La Baie Inc. v. Société d'électrolyse et de chimie Alcan Ltée, [1990] R.J.Q. 655; 29 Q.A.C. 251 (C.A.), consd. [para. 10].

Gelmini v. Québec (Procureur général), [1982] C.A. 560 (Que.), refd to. [para. 12].

Nagar et al. v. Montréal (Ville) et al., [1988] R.J.Q. 2219 (S.C.), affd. [1991] R.D.J. 604; 38 Q.A.C. 122 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 12].

Welbridge Holdings Ltd. v. Greater Winnipeg (Municipality), [1971] S.C.R. 957, consd. [para. 13].

Central Canada Potash and Canada (Attor­ney General) v. Saskatchewan, [1979] 1 S.C.R. 42; 23 N.R. 481, consd. [para. 13].

Manitoba Language Rights Reference, [1985] 1 S.C.R. 721; 59 N.R. 321; 35 Man.R.(2d) 83, consd. [para. 16].

Crown Trust Co. and Greymac Trust Co. v. Ontario, Taylor, Touche, Ross Ltd., Shuve, Woods Gordon and Central Trust Co. et al. (1986), 14 O.A.C. 137; 26 D.L.R.(4th) 41 (Div. Ct.), consd. [para. 17].

Schachter v. Canada et al., [1992] 2 S.C.R. 679; 139 N.R. 1, consd. [para. 18].

Statutes Noticed:

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982, sect. 7, sect. 9, sect. 12, sect. 24(1) [para. 4].

Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, R.S.Q. 1977, c. C-12, sect. 1, sect. 24, sect. 25 [para. 4].

Civil Code of Lower Canada, art. 1053 [para. 4].

Code of Civil Procedure (Que.), art. 752 [para. 9]; art. 847 [para. 10]; art. 1003 [para. 2].

Code of Penal Procedure, R.S.Q. 1977, c. C-25.1, sect. 346, sect. 348 [para. 3].

Constitution Act, 1982, sect. 52 [para. 4].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Cooper-Stephenson, Ken, Charter Damage Claims (1990), pp. 330 to 332 [para. 14].

Ducharme, Louise, et Lauzon, Yves, Le recours collectif in Formation per­manente du Barreau du Québec, No. 94 (1985), generally [para. 12].

Dussault, René and Borgeat, Louis, Ad­ministrative Law: A Treatise (2nd Ed. 1990), vol. 5, p. 177 [para. 14, English version].

Dussault, René, et Borgeat, Louis, Traité de droit administratif du Québec, 2 e éd., 1989, t. III, p. 959 [para. 14, French version].

Garant, Patrice, Droit administratif, 3 e éd., 1991, vol. 2, p. 487 [para. 15].

Pilkington, Marilyn L., Monetary Redress for Charter Infringement in Charter Litigation (1987), pp. 319 to 320 [para. 15].

Counsel:

Claude Bouchard and Monique Rousseau, for the appellant;

Jacques Larochelle, for the respondent.

Solicitors of Record:

Ministère de la Justice, Quebec, Quebec, for the appellant;

Jacques Larochelle and René Vallerand, Quebec, Quebec, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on May 27, 1996, by Lamer, C.J.C., La Forest, L'Heureux-Dubé, Sopinka, Gonthier, Cory, McLachlin, Iacobucci and Major, JJ., of the Supreme Court of Canada.

The judgment of the Supreme Court was delivered in both official languages by Gonthier, J., on October 3, 1996.