Human Rights Commission (N.S.) v. Halifax (Regional Municipality), (2008) 264 N.S.R.(2d) 61 (CA)

• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Court: Court of Appeal of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Judge: Cromwell, Saunders and Oland, JJ.A.
• Citation: (2008), 264 N.S.R.(2d) 61 (CA),2008 NSCA 21
• Date: 18 March 2008
• Subject Matter: LABOUR LAW,CIVIL RIGHTS,ADMINISTRATIVE LAW

HRC v. Halifax (2008), 264 N.S.R.(2d) 61 (CA);

    847 A.P.R. 61

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2008] N.S.R.(2d) TBEd. MR.042

The Halifax Regional Municipality (appellant) v. The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission (respondent)

(CA 282712; 2008 NSCA 21)

Indexed As: Human Rights Commission (N.S.) v. Halifax (Regional Municipality)

Nova Scotia Court of Appeal

Cromwell, Saunders and Oland, JJ.A.

March 18, 2008.

Summary:

An employee of the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) filed a complaint with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission alleging discrimination in his employment. The Commission applied for an order compelling the HRM to produce certain information pursuant to an investigation under the Human Rights Act. As a preliminary matter, the HRM claimed that the Commission lacked jurisdiction to deal with the complaint because jurisdiction rested exclusively with an arbitrator under the collective agreement.

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court, in a judgment reported (2007), 255 N.S.R.(2d) 32; 814 A.P.R. 32, held that there was concurrent jurisdiction between the arbitration mechanisms under the Trade Union Act and the Human Rights Commission. The HRM appealed.

The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, finding that the trial judge was correct in finding concurrent jurisdiction.

Administrative Law - Topic 9003

Boards and tribunals - Jurisdiction - General - Concurrent, overlapping or exclusive jurisdiction - [See Administrative Law - Topic 9052 ].

Administrative Law - Topic 9052

Boards and tribunals - Jurisdiction of particular boards and tribunals - Provincial Human Rights Commission - A unionized municipal employee filed a complaint with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission alleging discrimination in his employment - The municipality claimed that the Commission lacked jurisdiction, because the subject matter of the complaint fell within the exclusive jurisdiction of an arbitrator under the collective agreement - The trial judge held that the arbitrator and Commission had concurrent jurisdiction - The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal agreed, stating that "a review of the relevant legislation convinces me that it was not the intent of the Nova Scotia legislature to grant a labour arbitrator exclusive jurisdiction over the complaint filed by [the employee]. The [Trade Union Act] does not expressly oust the jurisdiction of the [Commission] with respect to matters which otherwise clearly fall within its jurisdiction. The collective agreement supplements rather than restricts the rights accorded under the [Human Rights Act] and there is no suggestion that the collective agreement is in any way inconsistent with the provisions of the TUA. The HRA gives the Commission jurisdiction over human rights issues that occur in the employment context. The nature of human rights law - quasi-constitutional, fundamental, and the law of the people - also supports the correctness of [the trial judge's] decision that jurisdiction over the complaint was concurrent, and not exclusive to the labour arbitrator. Finally, as a matter of policy, the broad mandate of the [Commission] as well as the extensive enforcement and remedial mechanisms at its disposal were obviously designed to address questions of such fundamental importance in the public interest." - The legislature did not intend to prefer one statutory regime over the other - There was no clear exclusionary clause in the Trade Union Act - The essential character of the dispute did not arise explicitly or implicitly from the interpretation, application or violation of the collective agreement.

Civil Rights - Topic 7070.1

Federal, provincial or territorial legislation - Commissions or boards - Jurisdiction - Complaints - Bars - [See Administrative Law - Topic 9052 ].

Labour Law - Topic 7041.3

Industrial relations - Collective agreement - Enforcement - Arbitration - Jurisdiction or powers of arbitrator or board - Respecting statutory rights (incl. human rights) and the general law - [See Administrative Law - Topic 9052 ].

Cases Noticed:

Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (Que.) v. Quebec (Attorney General) et al., [2004] 2 S.C.R. 185; 321 N.R. 290; 2004 SCC 39, refd to. [para. 21].

Weber v. Ontario Hydro, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 929; 183 N.R. 241; 82 O.A.C. 321, refd to. [para. 21].

Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 583 v. Calgary (City) et al. (2007), 404 A.R. 102; 394 W.A.C. 102; 2007 ABCA 121, refd to. [para. 45].

Regina Police Association Inc. and Shotton v. Board of Police Commissioners of Regina, [2000] 1 S.C.R. 360; 251 N.R. 16; 189 Sask.R. 23; 216 W.A.C. 23, refd to. [para. 46].

Vaughan v. Canada, [2004] 1 S.C.R. 146; 331 N.R. 69; 2005 SCC 11, refd to. [para. 46].

St. Anne-Nackawic Pulp & Paper Co. v. Canadian Paper Workers Union, Local 219, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 704; 68 N.R. 112; 73 N.B.R.(2d) 236; 184 A.P.R. 236, refd to. [para. 47].

New Brunswick v. O'Leary, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 967; 183 N.R. 229; 163 N.B.R.(2d) 97; 419 A.P.R. 97, refd to. [para. 47].

Adams v. Cusack et al. (2006), 242 N.S.R.(2d) 66; 770 A.P.R. 66; 2006 NSCA 9, refd to. [para. 47].

Symington v. Halifax (Regional Municipality) et al. (2007), 258 N.S.R.(2d) 69; 824 A.P.R. 69; 2007 NSCA 90, refd to. [para. 47].

Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (Que.) v. Quebec (Attorney General), [2004] 2 S.C.R. 223; 321 N.R. 335; 2004 SCC 40, dist. [para. 54].

Quebec (Attorney General) v. Quebec (Human Rights Tribunal) - see Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (Que.) v. Quebec (Attorney General).

Charette - see Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (Que.) v. Quebec (Attorney General).

House of Commons et al. v. Vaid et al., [2005] 1 S.C.R. 667; 333 N.R. 314; 2005 SCC 30, dist. [para. 57].

Cadillac Fairview Corp. v. Human Rights Commission (Sask.) et al. (1999), 177 Sask.R. 126; 199 W.A.C. 126; 173 D.L.R.(4th) 609 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 63].

Insurance Corp. of British Columbia v. Heerspink et al., [1982] 2 S.C.R. 145; 43 N.R. 168; 137 D.L.R.(3d) 219 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 64].

Craton v. Winnipeg School Division No. 1 and Winnipeg Teachers' Association No. 1 of the Manitoba Teachers' Society, [1985] 2 S.C.R. 150; 61 N.R. 241; 38 Man.R.(2d) 1, refd to. [para. 70].

Druken et al. v. Canada (Attorney General) (1988), 88 N.R. 150; 53 D.L.R.(4th) 29 (F.C.A.), refd to. [para. 70].

Canadian Broadcasting Corp. v. Paul, [1999] 2 F.C. 3; 158 F.T.R. 161 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 70].

Battlefords and District Co-operative Ltd. v. Gibbs and Human Rights Commission (Sask.), [1996] 3 S.C.R. 566; 203 N.R. 131; 148 Sask.R. 1; 134 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 71].

Tranchemontagne v. Disability Support Program (Ont.) et al., [2006] 1 S.C.R. 513; 347 N.R. 144; 210 O.A.C. 267, refd to. [para. 72].

Kaiser v. Multibond Inc. (2003), 219 N.S.R.(2d) 91; 692 A.P.R. 91; 2003 NSCA 122, refd to. [para. 76].

Kaiser v. Dural - see Kaiser v. Multibond Inc.

Authors and Works Noticed:

Brown, Donald J.M., and Evans, John M., Judicial Review of Administrative Action in Canada (1998) (2007 Looseleaf Update), p. 13:1223 [para. 20].

Gagnon, Jean Denis, Les droits de la personne dans un contexte de rapports collectifs de travail. Compétence de l'arbitre et d'autres tribunaux. Quand l'incertitude devient la règle (2006), 66 R. du B. 1, generally [para. 20].

Gall, Peter A., Zwack, Andrea L., and Bayne, Kate, Determining Human Rights Issues in the Unionized Workplace: The Case for Exclusive Arbitral Jurisdiction (2005), 12 C.L.E.L.J. 381, generally [para. 20].

Jacobs, Laverne, Developments in Administrative Law: The 2004-2005 Term (2005), 30 S.C.L.R.(2d) 43, p. 46 [para. 20].

MacNeil, Kevin D., The Duty to Accommodate in Employment (2006 Looseleaf Ed.), p. 2:30:10 [para. 70].

Payne, Janice B., and Rootham, Christopher C., Are Human Rights Commissions Still Relevant? (2005), 12 C.L.E.L.J. 65, generally [para. 20].

Zinn, Russel W., The Law of Human Rights in Canada: Practice and Procedure (1996) (Looseleaf), p. 17:40.3 [para. 20].

Counsel:

Randolph Kinghorne and Scott M. Hughes, for the appellant;

Michael J. Wood, Q.C., and Jason Cooke, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on January 16, 2008, at Halifax, N.S., before Cromwell, Saunders and Oland, JJ.A., of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.

On March 18, 2008, Saunders, J.A., delivered the following judgment for the Court of Appeal.