MacKeigan, J.A., et al. v. Royal Commission (Marshall Inquiry), (1988) 85 N.S.R.(2d) 219 (TD)

• Court: Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: June 22, 1988
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: (1988), 85 N.S.R.(2d) 219 (TD)

MacKeigan, J.A. v. Royal Comm. (1988), 85 N.S.R.(2d) 219 (TD);

    216 A.P.R. 219

MLB headnote and full text

Ian M. MacKeigan, Gordon L.S. Hart, Malachi C. Jones, Angus L. MacDonald and Leonard L. Pace (plaintiffs) v. T. Alexander Hickman, Lawrence A. Poitras and Gregory Thomas Evans (defendants)

(S.H. No. 63241)

Indexed As: MacKeigan, J.A., et al. v. Royal Commission (Marshall Inquiry)

Nova Scotia Supreme Court

Trial Division

Glube, C.J.T.D.

June 22, 1988.

Summary:

In 1971 Donald Marshall, Jr. was convicted of murder. An appeal from conviction was dismissed by the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, in a judgment reported 4 N.S.R.(2d) 517. Several years later doubt about the correctness of the conviction arose from both new evidence and the changed stories of witnesses called at the trial, including Marshall. The Minister of Justice in 1982 referred the conviction to the Court of Appeal for review under s. 617(b) of the Criminal Code. The Court of Appeal heard the new evidence and witnesses and in a judgment reported 57 N.S.R.(2d) 286; 120 A.P.R. 286, quashed the conviction on the ground that on the evidence no reasonable jury would have convicted Marshall. In 1986 the provincial government appointed a Royal Commission under the Public Inquiries Act to investigate the Marshall case. The commission issued "Orders to Attend" to the five Court of Appeal judges who sat on the Marshall Reference, requiring them to testify at the inquiry. The judges applied for various prerogative relief, seeking to quash the "Orders to Attend" on the ground that they were immune from compelled testimony respecting their decision.

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court, Trial Division, held that the "Orders to Attend" were ultra vires and beyond the authority of the Commission. The court held that the Court of Appeal judges were entitled to total judicial immunity and that they were neither competent nor compellable to testify on matters which came before them in their judicial capacity.

Administrative Law - Topic 7961

Public inquiries - Powers of - General - The Nova Scotia Supreme Court, Trial Division, discussed the powers of a commission appointed under the Public Inquiries Act, R.S.N.S. 1967, c. 250 - The court stated that although s. 3 of the Act conferred the power to subpoena "any person as witness", the Act did not limit common law privileges and immunities - The court noted that s. 4 of the Act limited the powers of a commissioner to those exercised by superior court judges.

Administrative Law - Topic 7995

Public inquiries - Practice - Examination of witnesses - Judges - [See Courts - Topic 313 below].

Administrative Law - Topic 7995

Public inquiries - Practice - Examination of witnesses - Immunity - Proof of - The Nova Scotia Supreme Court, Trial Division, discussed, without deciding, whether a person claiming immunity from testifying before a public inquiry had the burden of proving such immunity.

Courts - Topic 313

Judges - Independence of judiciary - Judicial immunity - The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, in a 1983 Reference under s. 617(b) of the Criminal Code, acquitted an accused wrongfully convicted of murder in 1971 - A Royal Commission under the Public Inquiries Act subpoenaed the five Court of Appeal judges to testify before the inquiry as to their involvement in the case - The Nova Scotia Supreme Court, Trial Division, held that superior court judges had total judicial immunity and were neither competent nor compellable to testify on matters that came before them in their judicial capacity - The court stated that constitutionally entrenched judicial independence required that judges not be required to respond to a commission, the executive or the legislature as to how or why they decided a matter and what their thinking was - The court stated that courts were open and judge's decisions were public, but looking behind the judgment would be destructive of judicial independence - The court stated that "if governments believe they have the right to question judges about matters which they have dealt with in their judicial capacity, then judges may become judges in name only and the loser will be the public and the democratic society we know today".

Evidence - Topic 5608

Witnesses - Competency and compellability - Particular persons - Judges - [See Courts - Topic 313 above].

Cases Noticed:

Hawkins v. Halifax County Residential Tenancies Board (1974), 19 N.S.R.(2d) 327; 24 A.P.R. 327 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 22].

Solicitor General of Canada et al. v. Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Confidentiality of Health Records in Ontario et al., [1981] 2 S.C.R. 494; 38 N.R. 588; 23 C.R.(3d) 338, refd to. [para. 23].

Keable and Attorney General of the Province of Quebec v. Attorney General of Canada et al., [1979] 1 S.C.R. 218; 24 N.R. 1, refd to. [para. 25].

Herman v. Attorney General of Canada, [1979] 1 S.C.R. 729; 23 N.R. 235; 5 C.R.(3d) 242, refd to. [para. 27].

Re Canadian Javelin Limited; Sparling et al. v. Smallwood (1982), 44 N.R. 571, refd to. [para. 29].

Director of Investigation and Research v. Canada Safeway Ltd., [1972] 3 W.W.R. 547 (B.C.S.C.), refd to. [para. 29].

Re Shell Canada Limited, [1975] F.C. 184 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 29].

R. v. Valente, [1985] 2 S.C.R. 673; 64 N.R. 1; 23 C.C.C.(3d) 193, refd to. [para. 30].

Beauregard v. Canada, [1986] 2 S.C.R 56; 70 N.R. 1; 30 D.L.R.(4th) 281, refd to. [para. 33].

Knowles' Trial (1692), 12 How. St. Tr. 1167, refd to. [para. 37].

Duke of Buccleuch v. Metropolitan Board of Works (1872), L.R. 5 H.L. 418, refd to. [para. 38].

R. v. Gazard (1838), 8 C. & P. 595; 173 E.R. 633, refd to. [para. 40].

R. v. Harvey (1858), 8 Cox C.C. 99, refd to. [para. 40].

McKinley v. McKinley, [1960] 1 All E.R. 476 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 40].

Ward v. Shell-Max & B.P. Ltd., [1951] 2 All E.R. 904 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 40].

Florence v. Lawson (1851), 17 L.T.O.S. 260 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 40].

Sirros v. Moore et al., [1974] 3 All E.R. 776, refd to. [para. 40].

Scott v. Smith (1931), 4 M.P.R. 23 (N.B.C.A.), refd to. [para. 41].

Re Clendenning and Board of Police Commissioners for the City of Belleville (1976), 75 D.L.R.(3d) 33; 15 O.R.(2d) 97 (Div. Ct.), refd to. [para. 42].

Re Reinking (1984), 3 O.A.C. 137 (Div. Ct.), refd to. [para. 43].

Family and Children Services for London and Middlesex v. P.D. and M.B. (1985), 49 R.F.L.(2d) 55, refd to. [para. 44].

R. v. Moran (1987), 21 O.A.C. 257 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 45].

Agnew v. Ontario Association of Architects (1987), 26 O.A.C. 354 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 46].

Williams v. Mercer (1986), 783 F. 2d 1488 (11th Cir.), refd to. [para. 48].

United States v. Nixon, 418 U.S. 683, refd to. [para. 48].

Nixon v. Sirica, 487 F. 2d 700, refd to. [para. 48].

Zanatta v. McCleary, [1976] 1 N.S. W.L.R. 230 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 50].

Harper v. Robinsons and Forbes (1821), 2 Murr. 383, refd to. [para. 51].

Hennessy v. Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd. (1926), 38 C.L.R. 342 (Aust. H.C.), refd to. [para. 52].

R. v. Forsythe (1980), 54 C.C.C.(2d) 44 (Sask. Q.B.), refd to. [para. 70].

Re Cameron and the Queen (1979), 48 C.C.C.(2d) 222, refd to. [para. 71].

R. v. Williams et al. (1981), 64 C.C.C.(2d) 514, refd to. [para. 71].

Re Baldwin and Bower and the Queen (1980), 85 C.C.C.(2d) 85, refd to. [para. 71].

Di Iorio and Fontaine v. Warden of the Common Jail of the City Montreal et al., [1978] 1 S.C.R. 152; 8 N.R. 361, refd to. [para. 85].

Moran, Agnew, Clendenning and Rivard v. Morier and Boily, [1985] 2 S.C.R. 716; 64 N.R. 46, refd to. [para. 93].

Manitoba Language Rights Reference, [1985] 1 S.C.R. 721; 59 N.R. 321; 35 Man.R.(2d) 83, refd to. [para. 95].

Roncarelli v. Duplessis, [1959] S.C.R. 121, refd to. [para. 96].

R. v. Drybones, [1970] S.C.R. 282, refd to. [para. 96].

Action Travail des Femmes v. Canadian National Railway Co., [1987] 1 S.C.R. 114; 76 N.R. 161, refd to. [para. 96].

Amax Potash v. Government of Saskatchewan, [1977] 2 S.C.R. 576; 11 N.R. 222, refd to. [para. 97].

Operation Dismantle Inc. et al. v. Canada et al., [1985] 1 S.C.R. 441; 59 N.R. 1, refd to. [para. 99].

R. v. Rahey, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 588; 75 N.R. 81; 78 N.S.R.(2d) 183; 193 A.P.R. 183, refd to. [para. 101].

Dolphin Delivery Ltd. v. Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, Local 580, Peterson and Alexander, [1986] 2 S.C.R. 573; 71 N.R. 83, refd to. [para. 101].

Carey v. Ontario, [1986] 2 S.C.R. 637; 72 N.R. 81; 20 O.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 102].

R. v. Dunbar and Logan (1982), 68 C.C.C.(2d) 13 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 132].

R. v. Hunter (1987), 19 O.A.C. 131; 34 C.C.C.(3d) 14 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 133].

Smerchanski v. Lewis (1981), 58 C.C.C.(2d) 328 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 134].

Slavutch v. Board of Governors of the University of Alberta (1975), 3 N.R. 587; 38 C.R.N.S. 306 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 135].

New York Times Co. v. U.S. (1971), 403 U.S. 713, refd to. [para. 139].

Davis v. Alaska (1974), 415 U.S. 308 (1974), refd to. [para. 139].

R. v. Hess (No. 2), [1949] 4 D.L.R. 199 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 182].

Ward v. Shell-Mex, [1951] 2 All E.R. 904, refd to. [para. 183].

Re Mulroney and Coates (1986), 54 O.R.(2d) 353 (H.C.J.), refd to. [para. 189].

Statutes Noticed:

Constitution Act, 1867, sect. 92(14) [para. 86].

Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1970, c. C-34, sect. 617(6) [para. 6].

Judges Act, R.S.C. 1970, c. J-1, sect. 39, sect. 40, sect. 41, sect. 42, sect. 43 [para. 60].

Public Inquiries Act, R.S.N.S. 1967, c. 250, sect. 3, sect. 4 [para. 21].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Shetreet, Judges on Trial (1976), pp. 17, 18 [para. 30].

Green, Sir Guy, The Rationale and Some Aspects of Judicial Independence (1985), 59 A.L.J. 135 [para. 30].

Lederman, W.R., The Independence of the Judiciary (1956), 34 Can. Bar Rev. 769, p. 770 [para. 32].

Todd, Parliamentary Government in England (1887), vol. 1, p. 574 [para. 54].

Canadian Bar Association, Independence of the Judiciary (1985), art. 1-21(b) [para. 55].

Wigmore on Evidence (3rd Ed. 1961), vol. 8, para. 2285 [para. 135].

Odgers, The Construction of Deeds and Statutes (2nd Ed. 1946), p. 265 [para. 160].

Hallett, Leonard, Royal Commissions and Boards of Inquiry (1982), p. 10 [para. 162].

Anthony, Russell J., and Lucas, Alastair R., A Handbook on the Conduct of Public Inquiries in Canada, pp. 2, 3, [para. 162].

Driedger, E.A., The Construction of Statutes (2nd Ed. 1983), c. 5, p. 89, c. 6, p. 105 [para. 197].

Counsel:

R.J. Downie, Q.C., and F.P. Crooks, for the plaintiffs;

James C. MacPherson and Wylie Spicer, for the defendants;

Jamie W.S. Saunders and Peter Rogers, for the intervenor, the Attorney General of Nova Scotia;

Clayton Ruby, for the intervenor, Donald Marshall, Jr.

This action was heard on May 24 and 25, 1988, at Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Chambers before Glube, C.J.T.D., of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, Trial Division, who delivered the following judgment on June 22, 1988.