Legal Aid Services Commission (N.B.) v. Comeau, (2009) 351 N.B.R.(2d) 269 (CA)

• Judge: Robertson, Richard and Bell, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (New Brunswick)
• Case Date: May 26, 2009
• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Citations: (2009), 351 N.B.R.(2d) 269 (CA);2009 NBCA 78

Legal Aid v. Comeau (2009), 351 N.B.R.(2d) 269 (CA);

    351 R.N.-B.(2e) 269; 904 A.P.R. 269

MLB headnote and full text

Sommaire et texte intégral

[French language version follows English language version]

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

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Temp. Cite: [2009] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. DE.003

Renvoi temp.: [2009] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. DE.003

New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission (appellant) v. Lorraine Rose Emma Comeau and Earl Jean Comeau (respondents)

(117-08-CA; 2009 NBCA 78)

Indexed As: Legal Aid Services Commission (N.B.) v. Comeau

Répertorié: Legal Aid Services Commission (N.B.) v. Comeau

New Brunswick Court of Appeal

Robertson, Richard and Bell, JJ.A.

November 26, 2009.

Summary:

Résumé:

On the first appearance in a private dispute between two individual litigants, duty counsel lawyer Lavigne represented the respondent under the authority of the Legal Aid Act. The matter was adjourned. On the adjourned date, the respondent appeared without counsel. The application judge made the following direction: "I'm directing the New Brunswick Legal Aid Commission to provide Duty Counsel to carry on with this Application on [the respondent's] behalf". The Legal Aid Services Commission appealed.

The New Brunswick Court of Appeal allowed the appeal. The order was set aside.

Civil Rights - Topic 3224

Trials - Due process, fundamental justice and fair hearings - Civil proceedings - Fairness - On the first appearance in a private dispute between two individual litigants, duty counsel lawyer Lavigne represented the respondent under the authority of the Legal Aid Act - The matter was adjourned - On the adjourned date, the respondent appeared without counsel - The application judge made the following direction: "I'm directing the New Brunswick Legal Aid Commission to provide Duty Counsel to carry on with this Application on [the respondent's] behalf" - The Legal Aid Services Commission appealed, asserting, inter alia, that the application judge erred in making an order affecting a nonparty without first giving it (the Commission) notice - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, setting aside the order - Absent an exception, the right to notice before an order was made affecting one's rights or imposing obligations was sacrosanct in the judicial or quasi-judicial process - The application judge's order had a direct impact on the Commission's financial interests - Her failure to provide notice violated the Commission's right to a fair hearing - See paragraphs 8 to 10.

Civil Rights - Topic 3226

Trials - Due process, fundamental justice and fair hearings - Civil proceedings - Right to present argument - [See Civil Rights - Topic 3224 ].

Civil Rights - Topic 4631

Right to counsel - Appointment of counsel by the court or the state - General - On the first appearance in a private dispute between two individual litigants, duty counsel lawyer Lavigne represented the respondent under the authority of the Legal Aid Act - The matter was adjourned - On the adjourned date, the respondent appeared without counsel - The application judge made the following direction: "I'm directing the New Brunswick Legal Aid Commission to provide Duty Counsel to carry on with this Application on [the respondent's] behalf" - The Legal Aid Services Commission appealed, asserting, inter alia, that the application judge erred in making an order requiring the Commission to appoint counsel to represent the respondent without first affording it the opportunity to determine whether the respondent qualified for "legal aid" - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, setting aside the order - Presuming that the Commission was given notice and had the opportunity to present argument, the judge would nevertheless have lacked jurisdiction to direct the Commission to provide counsel - The Legal Aid Act constituted a complete code with respect to legal aid funding, management and delivery with specific provisions regarding applications for legal aid and appeals - There was a privative clause which purported to oust the court's jurisdiction - This conclusion did not impact those situations where a court determined that "state funded legal counsel" was required under the Charter - There was a distinction between ordering the Commission to fund counsel and ordering the appointment of state-funded counsel - The Commission was not the state - See paragraphs 11 to 14.

Courts - Topic 560

Judges - Powers - Authority to act ex mero motu (on own motion) - [See Civil Rights - Topic 3224 ].

Courts - Topic 563

Judges - Powers - To appoint counsel - [See Civil Rights - Topic 4631 ].

Courts - Topic 1761

Powers - Appointment of counsel - General - [See Civil Rights - Topic 4631 ].

Government Programs - Topic 1401

Legal aid - General - [See Civil Rights - Topic 3224 and Civil Rights - Topic 4631 ].

Practice - Topic 304

Parties - General - Nonparty - Rights of - [See Civil Rights - Topic 3224 ].

Practice - Topic 5013

Conduct of trial - General principles - Adjudicative fairness - [See Civil Rights - Topic 3224 ].

Practice - Topic 6252

Judgments and orders - Setting aside orders - Grounds for - [See Civil Rights - Topic 3224 and Civil Rights - Topic 4631 ].

Droits et libertés - Cote 3224

Procès - Application régulière de la loi, justice fondamentale et audiences équitables - Poursuites civiles - Caractère équitable - [Voir Civil Rights - Topic 3224 ].

Droits et libertés - Cote 3226

Procés - Application regulière de la loi, justice fondamentale et audiences équitables - Poursuites civiles - Droit de présenter des arguments - [Voir Civil Rights - Topic 3226 ].

Droits et libertés - Cote 4631

Droit à l'assistance d'un avocat - Désignation d'un avocat par le tribunal ou l'État - Généralités - [Voir Civil Rights - Topic 4631 ].

Procédure - Cote 304

Parties - Généralités - Droit d'une non-partie - [Voir Practice - Topic 304 ].

Procédure - Cote 5013

Conduite du procès - Principes généraux - Equité adjudicative - [Voir Practice - Topic 5013 ].

Procédure - Cote 6252

Jugements et ordonnances - Annulation d'ordonnances - Motifs - [Voir Practice - Topic 6252 ].

Programmes gouvernementaux - Cote 1401

Aide juridique - Généralités - [Voir Government Programs - Topic 1401 ].

Tribunaux - Cote 560

Juges - Pouvoirs - Autorité d'agir de leur propre initiative - [Voir Courts - Topic 560 ].

Tribunaux - Cote 563

Juges - Pouvoirs - Désigner un avocat - [Voir Courts - Topic 563 ].

Tribunaux - Cote 1761

Pouvoirs - Désignation d'un avocat - Généralités - [Voir Courts - Topic 1761 ].

Cases Noticed:

Supermarchés Jean Labrecque Inc. v. Tribunal du Travail, [1987] 2 S.C.R. 219; 78 N.R. 201; 9 Q.A.C. 161, appld. [para. 8].

Supermarchés Jean Labrecque Inc. v. Flamand - see Supermarchés Jean Labrecque Inc. v. Tribunal du Travail.

Director of Maintenance Enforcement (N.S.) v. Coolen (2009), 278 N.S.R.(2d) 57; 886 A.P.R. 57; 2009 NSCA 22, refd to. [para. 9].

Christie v. British Columbia (Attorney General) et al., [2007] 1 S.C.R. 873; 361 N.R. 322; 240 B.C.A.C. 1; 398 W.A.C. 1; 2007 SCC 21, refd to. [para. 11].

Counsel:

Avocats:

Margaret Gallagher, for the appellant;

No one appeared for the respondents, Lorraine Rose Emma Comeau and Earl John Comeau.

This appeal was heard on May 26, 2009, by Robertson, Richard and Bell, JJ.A., of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal. On November 26, 2009, Bell, J.A., delivered the following reasons for judgment in both official languages for the court.