Lippé et autres v. Québec (Procureur général) et autres, (1991) 128 N.R. 1 (SCC)

• Judge: Sopinka, Gonthier, Cory and McLachlin, JJ.
• Court: Supreme Court (Canada)
• Case Date: December 05, 1990
• Jurisdiction: Canada (Federal)
• Citations: (1991), 128 N.R. 1 (SCC);[1991] 2 SCR 114;1990 CanLII 18 (SCC);61 CCC (3d) 127;128 NR 1;JE 91-934;[1990] SCJ No 128 (QL);13 WCB (2d) 169;[1990] ACS no 128;39 QAC 241;5 CRR (2d) 31;5 MPLR (2d) 113

Lippé v. Qué. (P.g.) (1991), 128 N.R. 1 (SCC)

MLB headnote and full text

[French language version follows English language version]

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

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Attorney General of Quebec (appellant) v. Linda Lippé, Jean-Pierre Paradis, Serge Robitaille, Yvon Deblois, Martin Lapierre, Gérard Gagnon, Georges Malenfant, André Lessard, Karl Berger, Antonio Lamonde and Eric Desbiens (respondents) and the Attorney General for Ontario, the M.R.C. de la Jacques-Cartier and the Municipality of Fossambault-sur-le-Lac (interveners) and Mr. Gilles Charest, ès qualités et al. (Municipal Court of Loretteville), Mr. Alain Turgeon, ès qualités et al. (Municipal Court of Beauport), Mr. Jean-Pierre Gignac, ès qualités et al. (Municipal Court of Charlesbourg), Mr. Pierre Nadeau, ès qualités et al. (Municipal Court of Vanier), Mr. Marc Jessop, ès qualités et al. (Municipal Court of Ste-Foy) (mis-en-cause)

(22072)

Indexed As: Lippé et autres v. Québec (Procureur général) et autres

Supreme Court of Canada

Lamer, C.J.C., La Forest, L'Heureux-Dubé,

Sopinka, Gonthier, Cory and McLachlin, JJ.

June 6, 1991.

Summary:

The Cities and Towns Act of Québec permitted lawyers to serve as part-time judges in the municipal courts other than those in Laval, Montréal and Québec. Sub­ject to certain limitations, the lawyers could continue to practice law. The accused were charged with offences within the jurisdiction of the municipal court. The accused sub­mitted that the statutory scheme which permitted part-time judges to continue to practice law denied the accused their right to a trial before an independent and impartial tribunal as contained in s. 11(d) of the Ca­nadian Charter and s. 28(3) of the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.

The Quebec Superior Court, in a decision reported [1989] R.J.Q. 2372, held that cer­tain municipal courts lacked jurisdiction to rule on the charges. The Attorney General of Quebec appealed.

The Court of Appeal of Quebec (Tourigny, J.A., dissenting), in a decision reported [1990] R.J.Q. 2200; 31 Q.A.C. 161; 60 C.C.C.(3d) 34; 80 C.R.(3d) 1, dismissed the appeal. The majority held that ss. 608 and 608.1 of the Cities and Towns Act were inoperative as they contravened s. 11(d) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Free­doms. The Attorney General of Quebec appealed.

The Supreme Court of Canada allowed the appeal. The court found that the legislative scheme which allowed part-time judges to practice law did not offend the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Civil Rights - Topic 3135

Trials - Due process, fundamental justice and fair hearings - Criminal and quasi-criminal proceedings - Right to a fair and impartial trial - The Cities and Towns Act of Quebec allowed lawyers to act as judges in some municipal courts on a part-time basis - Aside from certain restrictions concerning conflict of interest and bias, the lawyers were permitted to continue to practice law - The accused were charged in the municipal courts - The accused submitted that a trial before a part-time judge who continued to practice law con­travened their s. 11(d) Charter right to be tried before an independent and impartial tribunal - The Supreme Court of Canada held that the appointment of practising lawyers as part-time judges did not con­travene the Charter.

Droits et libertés - Cote 3135

Procès - Application régulière de la loi, justice fondamentale et audiences équit­ables - Affaires criminelles et quasi-criminelles - Droit à un tribunal indépen­dant et impartial - [Voir Civil Rights - Topic 3135 ].

Courts - Topic 306

Judges - Independence of judiciary - General - Part-time judges - The Cities and Towns Act of Quebec allowed lawyers to act as judges in some municipal courts on a part-time basis - Aside from certain restrictions concerning conflict of interest and bias, the lawyers were permitted to continue to practice law - The accused were charged in the municipal courts - The accused submitted that a trial before a part-time judge who continued to practice law contravened their s. 11(d) Charter right to be tried before an independent and impartial tribunal - The Supreme Court of Canada held that the appointment of prac­tising lawyers as part-time judges did not contravene the Charter.

Tribunaux - Cote 306

Juges - Indépendance du pouvoir judiciaire - Généralités - Juges à temps partiel - [Voir Courts - Topic 306 ].

Courts - Topic 306

Judges - Independence of judiciary - General - The Cities and Towns Act permitted some municipal courts to employ practising lawyers as part-time judges - Certain accused applied to have the provi­sion struck down on the ground it contra­vened their s. 11(d) Charter right to be tried by an independent and impartial tribunal - The majority of the Supreme Court of Canada stated that the concept of judicial independence included both inde­pendence from government and indepen­dence from the parties to the litigation - See paragraph 91.

Tribunaux - Cote 306

Juges - Indépendance du pouvoir judiciaire - Généralités - [Voir Courts - Topic 306 ].

Courts - Topic 310

Judges - Independence of judiciary - Requirements - Institutional impartiality - The Supreme Court of Canada considered the issue of institutional impartiality in regard to the use of practising lawyers as part-time judges in some of Québec's municipal courts - In regard to a test for institutional impartiality, the court adopted the view that "... the apprehension of bias must be a reasonable one, held by reason­able and right-minded persons, applying themselves to the question and obtaining thereon the required information ..., that test is 'what would an informed person, viewing the matter realistically and prac­tically - and having thought the matter through - conclude'" - See paragraph 57.

Tribunaux - Cote 310

Juges - Indépendance du pouvoir judiciaire - Réclamation - Impartialité institutionnelle - [Voir Courts - Topic 310 ].

Courts - Topic 676

Judges - Disqualifications - Municipal courts - Part-time judges - Institutional defects - The Cities and Towns Act of Quebec allowed lawyers to act as judges in some municipal courts on a part-time basis - Aside from certain restrictions concerning conflict of interest and bias, the lawyers were permitted to continue to practice law - The accused were charged in the municipal courts - The accused submitted that a trial before a part-time judge who continued to practice law con­travened their s. 11(d) Charter right to be tried before an independent and impartial tribunal - The Supreme Court of Canada held that the appointment of practising lawyers as part-time judges did not con­travene the Charter.

Tribunaux - Cote 676

Juges - Incapacité - Tribunaux munici­paux - Juges à temps partiel - [Voir Courts - Topic 676 ].

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Valente, [1985] 2 S.C.R. 673; 64 N.R. 1; 14 O.A.C. 79, consd. [paras. 10, 34, 41, 50, 51, 55, 89].

R. v. Braconnier, [1984] R.J.Q. 981, refd to. [para. 11].

Tessier v. Paquet, [1988] R.J.Q. 2553, refd to. [para. 11].

MacBain v. Canadian Human Rights Commission et al., [1985] 1 F.C. 856; 62 N.R. 117, refd to. [para. 28].

Sethi v. Minister of Employment and Immigration, [1988] 2 F.C. 552; 87 N.R. 389, refd to. [para. 28].

Beauregard v. Canada, [1986] 2 S.C.R. 56; 70 N.R. 1, consd. [paras. 42, 43, 44, 89].

MacKeigan, J.A., et al. v. Royal Commis­sioner (Marshall Inquiry), [1989] 2 S.C.R. 796; 100 N.R. 81; 94 N.S.R.(2d) 1; 247 A.P.R. 1, consd. [para. 47].

Committee for Justice and Liberty et al. v. National Energy Board et al., [1978] 1 S.C.R. 369; 9 N.R. 115, consd. [para. 57].

Sirros v. Moore, [1975] 1 Q.B. 118, refd to. [para. 93].

Rivard v. Morier and Boily, [1985] 2 S.C.R. 716; 64 N.R. 46, consd. [para. 93].

Statutes Noticed:

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982/Charte canadienne des droits et libertés, 1982, sect. 11(d) [paras. 9, 88].

Certain Aspects of the Status of Municipal Judges, Act respecting/Certains aspects du statut des juges municipaux, Loi sur, L.Q. 1988, c. 74, sect. 606.1 [para. 11].

Charter of Human Rights and Free­doms/Charte des droits et libertés de la personne, R.S.Q. 1977, c. C-12 [am. 1982, c. 17, sect. 42], sect. 23 [para. 9, 88].

Cities and Towns Act/Cités et villes, Loi sur les, R.S.Q. 1977, c. C-19, sect. 605 [paras. 13, 18]; sect. 608, sect. 608.1 [para. 9]; sect. 609.1 [paras. 12, 18]; sect. 615.1 [para. 71].

Code of Civil Procedure/Code de procé­dure civile (Qué.), art. 34 [paras. 81, 82].

Code of Ethics for Municipal Judges of Québec/Code de déontologie des juges municipaux du Québec, R.R.Q. 1981 (Supplement) p. 1272 (O.C. 644-82), generally [para. 73].

Court of Justice Act/Tribunaux judiciaires, Loi sur les, R.S.Q. 1977, c. J-16, sect. 261, sect. 262 [para. 73]; sect. 263 [para. 75].

Criminal Code/Code criminel, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, part XXVII [para. 32].

European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Free­doms/Convention européenne de sauve­garde des droits de l'homme et des liber­tés fondamentales, 213 U.N.T.S. 222, sect. 6(1) [para. 91].

Highway Safety Code/Sécurité routière, Code de la, R.S.Q. 1977, c. C-24.2, generally [para. 1].

Magistrate's Privileges Act/Privileges des magistrats, Loi sur les, R.S.Q. 1977, c. P-24, generally [para. 72].

Municipal Courts Act/Cours municipales, Loi sur les, R.S.Q., c. C-72, sect. 2, sect. 7.1, sect. 7.3 [paras. 14, 19].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Atkinson, W.J., L'indépendance et l'impar­tialité des tribunaux administratifs sous la Charte des droits et libertés Tribunaux administratifs à la lumière des Chartes (1989), p. 149 [para. 39].

Blache, P., L'impartialité et l'indépendance selon les articles 7 et 11(d) de la Charte canadienne, Développements récents en droit administratif (1989), vol. 2, p. 55 [para. 39].

Garant, P., La justice municipale au regard des chartes: quelques observations au lendemain de la grande réforme (1991), 36 McGill L.J. 39, generally [para. 39].

Greene, I., The Doctrine of Judicial Inde­pendance Developed by the Supreme Court of Canada (1988), 26 Osgoode Hall L.J. 177, pp. 191-192 [para. 90]; 194 [para. 49].

Keable, Jean F., Les tribunaux administra­tifs et les organismes de régulation et les exigences de la Charte en matière d'ind­épendance et d'impartialité (art. 23, 56.1 de la Charte québécoise), Application des Chartes des droits et libertés en matière civile (1988), p. 251 [para. 39].

Pépin, G., L'indépendance des tribunaux administratifs et l'article 23 de la Charte des droits et libertés de la personne (1990), 50 R. du B. 766, generally [para. 39].

Québec, Ministre de la Justice, Rapport du Groupe de travail sur les Cours munici­pales. Les cours municipales au Québec: un projet de réforme (1988), generally [para. 63].

Shetreet, S. et Deschênes, J. (eds.), Uni­versal Declaration on the Independance of Justice, Judicial Indépendance: The Contemporary Debate (1985), 447, p. 450 [para. 90].

Shetreet, S. et Deschênes, J. (eds.), Judicial Indépendance: New Conceptual Dimen­sions and Contemporary Challenges, Judicial Independance: The Contempo­rary Debate (1985), pp. 598-599 [para. 90]; 623 [para. 92].

Shetreet, S., Judges on Trial (1976), pp. 17-18 [para. 92].

Counsel:

Jean-Yves Bernard, Claude Bouchard and Marise Visocchi, for the appellant;

Paul Larochelle, Pierre Béliveau and Mau­rice Dussault, for the respondent Lippé;

Herman Bédard, for the other respondents;

W.J. Blacklock and Rebecca Regenstreif, for the intervener the Attorney General for Ontario;

Claude Jean, for the interveners the M.R. C. de la Jacques-Cartier and the Muni­cipalité de Fossambault-sur-le-Lac.

Solicitors of Record:

Marise Visocchi, Jean-Yves Bernard and Claude Bouchard, Ste-Foy, Quebec, for the appellant;

Brochet, Dussault & Associés, Ste-Foy, Quebec et Pierre Béliveau, Montreal, Quebec, for the respondent Lippé;

Herman Bédard, Quebec, Quebec, for the other respondents;

The Ministry of the Attorney General, Toronto, Ontario, for the intervener the Attorney General for Ontario;

Flynn, Rivard, Quebec, Quebec, for the interveners the M.R.C. de la Jacques-Cartier and the Municipalité de Fossam­bault-sur-le-Lac.

This appeal was heard on December 5, 1990, by Lamer, C.J.C., La Forest, L'Heur­eux-Dubé, Sopinka, Gonthier, Cory and McLachlin, JJ., of the Supreme Court of Canada. Judgment was given on December 5, 1990 and the following decisions were delivered on June 6, 1991:

Lamer, C.J.C. (Sopinka and Cory, JJ., concurring) - see paragraphs 1 to 86;

Gonthier, J. (La Forest, L'Heureux-Dubé and McLachlin, JJ., concurring) - see paragraphs 87 to 96.