Jane Doe v. Board of Police Commissioners of Metropolitan Toronto et al., (1990) 40 O.A.C. 161 (DC)

JudgeO'Leary, Saunders and Moldaver, JJ.
CourtSuperior Court of Justice of Ontario (Canada)
Case DateAugust 30, 1990
JurisdictionOntario
Citations(1990), 40 O.A.C. 161 (DC);1990 CanLII 6611 (ON SC);74 OR (2d) 225;72 DLR (4th) 580;5 CCLT (2d) 77;[1990] OJ No 1584 (QL);10 WCB (2d) 577;1 CRR (2d) 211;22 ACWS (3d) 869;40 OAC 161;50 CPC (2d) 92

Jane Doe v. Police Commr. (1990), 40 O.A.C. 161 (DC)

MLB headnote and full text

Jane Doe (plaintiff/respondent) v. Board of Commissioners of Police for the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, Jack Marks, Kim Derry and William Cameron (defendants/appellants)

(No. 740/89)

Indexed As: Jane Doe v. Board of Police Commissioners of Metropolitan Toronto et al.

Ontario Divisional Court

O'Leary, Saunders and Moldaver, JJ.

August 30, 1990.

Summary:

Jane Doe was raped by an attacker who gained access to her second floor apartment through a balcony door. He was apprehended and pleaded guilty to numerous similar assaults on other women and was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment. Jane Doe commenced a civil action against the investigating police officers, the chief of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force and the Board of Commissioners of Police for the municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, claiming damages for pain and suffering, inconvenience and loss of enjoyment of life, plus expenses and lost income. She raised two causes of action against the defendants, the first one framed in tort and the second action seeking a declaration that her rights to security of the person and equal protection of the law were violated contrary to ss. 7 & 15(1) of the Charter. Issues arose as to whether the pleadings supported these causes of action against the defendants and whether the causes of action were properly pleaded.

The Ontario Supreme Court, per Henry, J., held that the causes of action were both legally founded and properly pleaded. The defendants appealed.

The Ontario Divisional Court dismissed the appeal.

Civil Rights - Topic 1202

Security of the person - Protection of citizen by State - Police - A rape victim sued police for damages alleging that police, be aware of a serial rapist, failed to take steps to warn and protect her - She also sought a declaration that her Charter rights to security of the person and equal protection of the law were violated (ss. 7 & 15(1)) - The Ontario Divisional Court held that the allegations respecting the Charter were properly pleaded and her action would be allowed to proceed - See paragraphs 40 to 74.

Civil Rights - Topic 5502

Equality and protection of the law - Whether right to equality abridged - [See Civil Rights - Topic 1202 ].

Civil Rights - Topic 8589

Charter - Practice - Pleadings - [See Civil Rights - Topic 1202 ].

Police - Topic 2205

Duties - General duties - Statutory duties - The Ontario Divisional Court stated that s. 57 of the Police Act (1970) imposed certain duties on police including: (1) preserving the peace, (2) preventing crimes, and (3) apprehending offenders "the police are charged with the duty of preserving law and order within our society, including the protection of the public from those who would commit or have committed crimes" - See paragraph 13.

Police - Topic 2208

Duties - General duties - Duty to warn and protect - The Ontario Divisional Court stated that "the law is clear that in certain circumstances, the police have a duty to warn citizens of foreseeable harm" - See paragraph 22 - However, in some circumstances, where foreseeable harm and a special relationship of proximity exists, the police might reasonably conclude that a warning ought not to be given (e.g. where a warning would cause general and unnecessary panic) - See paragraph 23.

Police - Topic 2208

Duties - General duties - Duty to warn and protect - [See Police - Topic 2205 ].

Police - Topic 5028

Actions against police - Negligence - Failure to warn and protect - A rape victim sued police in tort for damages, alleging that police, being aware that a serial rapist was apt to strike in her neighbourhood and she fit the stereotype of his victims, failed to take steps to warn and protect her - The Ontario Divisional Court held that the action should be allowed to proceed against the Board of Commissioners of Police, the police chief and the investigation officers - See paragraphs 1 to 39.

Practice - Topic 1451

Pleadings - Statement of claim - General - The Ontario Divisional Court stated that "the statement of claim must be read as generously as possible, with the view to accommodating any inadequacies in the form of the allegations due to drafting deficiencies" - See paragraph 11.

Practice - Topic 1463

Pleadings - Statement of claim - Requirement of disclosing cause of action - [See Civil Rights - Topic 1202 and Practice - Topic 5028 ].

Practice - Topic 1463

Pleadings - Statement of claim - Requirement of disclosing cause of action - The Ontario Divisional Court stated that: The pleadings must disclose a cause of action found in law. So long as this criterion is met, the novelty of the cause of action is of no concern - See paragraph 11.

Practice - Topic 1463

Pleadings - Statement of claim - Requirement of disclosing cause of action - The Ontario Divisional Court stated that "in determining whether a cause of action exists, the material facts pleaded are to be taken as proofed. However, this principle does not apply where the alleged facts are based on assumptive or speculative conclusions which are incapable of proof" - "if the facts taken as proofed, disclose a reasonable cause of action, that is, one with some chance of success, then the action may proceed" - See paragraph 11.

Cases Noticed:

Johnson v. Adamson (1981), 34 O.R.(2d) 236 (C.A.), refd to. [paras. 11, 29].

Operation Dismantle Inc. et al. v. Canada, [1985], 1 S.C.R. 441; 59 N.R. 1; 18 D.L.R.(4th) 481; 13 C.P.R. 287 (S.C.C.), refd to. [paras. 11, 74].

Hill v. Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, [1988] 2 All E.R. 238 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 16].

Anns v. Merton London Borough Council, [1978] A.C. 728, refd to. [para. 17].

Nielsen v. Kamloops, City of and Hughes and Hughes, [1984] 2 S.C.R. 2; 54 N.R. 1, refd to. [paras. 18, 31].

Sclact v. O'Rourke, [1973] 1 O.R. 221, affd. [1976] 1 S.C.R. 53; 3 N.R. 453, refd to. [para. 22].

Beutler v. Beutler (1983), 26 C.C.L.T. 229 (H.C.), refd to. [para. 22].

Funk v. Clapp (1986), 68 D.L.R.(4th) 229 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 38].

R. v. Beare; R. v. Higgins, [1988] 2 S.C.R. 387; 88 N.R. 205; 71 Sask.R. 1 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 46].

Southam Inc. v. Hunter, [1984] 2 S.C.R. 145; 55 N.R. 241; 55 A.R. 291; 9 C.R.R. 355; 14 C.C.C.(3d) 97; 41 C.R.(3d) 97; [1984] 6 W.W.R. 577; 33 Alta. L.R.(2d) 193; 27 B.L.R. 297; 84 D.T.C. 6467; 2 C.P.R.(3d) 1; 11 D.L.R.(4th) 641, refd to. [para. 50].

DeShaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services et al.(1989), 109 S.Ct. 998, consd. [paras. 51, 54, 55, 56].

Statutes Noticed:

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982, sect. 1 [paras. 48, 43]; sect. 7 [paras. 4, 10, 44-47, 54, 59, 61, 63, 70]; sect. 15(1) [paras. 4, 10, 40-43, 48, 54, 59, 61, 63, 70].

Police Act, R.S.O. 1970, c. 351, sect. 57 [paras. 13, 54, 57, 59].

United States Constitution, Fourteenth Amendment [para. 51].

Counsel:

C. Campbell, G. Stein, M. Cornish, and A. Hodgins, for the plaintiff/respondent;

B. Finlay, Q.C., and J. Gregory Richards, for the defendants/appellants.

This appeal was heard before O'Leary, Saunders and Moldaver, JJ., of the Ontario Divisional Court. The decision of the Court was delivered by Moldaver, J., and released on August 30, 1990:

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