M.D.R. et al. v. Deputy Registrar General (Ont.), [2006] O.T.C. 489 (SC)

• Judge: Rivard, J.
• Court: Superior Court of Justice of Ontario (Canada)
• Case Date: June 06, 2006
• Jurisdiction: Ontario
• Citations: [2006] O.T.C. 489 (SC)

M.D.R. v. Deputy Reg. General, [2006] O.T.C. 489 (SC)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2006] O.T.C. TBEd. JN.018

M.D.R., M.P.S., E.E.R.-P., Minor and A.D.R.-P., Minor (by their Litigation Guardians M.D.R. and M.P.S.), L.F., R.E., S.R.E. ("E.-F."), Minor (by her Litigation Guardians L.F. and R.E.), B.V., B.A., S.J.T.V.A., Minor (by his Litigation Guardians B.V. and B.A.), R.N.G., V.D. and A.Z.C.D.-G., Minor (by her Litigation Guardians R.N.G. and V.D.) (applicants) v. Deputy Registrar General for the Province of Ontario (respondent)

(Court File No. 05-FA-013357)

Indexed As: M.D.R. et al. v. Deputy Registrar General (Ont.)

Court of Ontario

Superior Court of Justice

Rivard, J.

June 6, 2006.

Summary:

This headnote contains no summary.

Editor's Note: Certain names in the following case have been initialized or the case otherwise edited to prevent the disclosure of identities where required by law, publication ban, Maritime Law Book's editorial policy or otherwise.

Civil Rights - Topic 5648.1

Equality and protection of the law - Particular cases - Vital statistics legislation (incl. birth registration provisions) - See paragraphs 111 to 233.

Civil Rights - Topic 8348

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Application - Exceptions - Reasonable limits prescribed by law (Charter, s. 1) - See paragraphs 234 to 274.

Infants - Topic 822

Parents of - Birth registration - Rights of parents (incl. same-sex parents and unmarried parents) - See paragraphs 1 to 274.

Infants - Topic 6044

Legal proceedings - Jurisdiction - Common law or inherent jurisdiction of courts (parens patriae) - See paragraphs 79 to 110.

Statutes - Topic 2601

Interpretation - Interpretation of words and phrases - Modern rule (incl. interpretation by context) - General principles - See paragraphs 22 to 27.

Cases Noticed:

Bell ExpressVu Limited Partnership v. Rex et al., [2002] 2 S.C.R. 559; 287 N.R. 248; 166 B.C.A.C. 1; 271 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 24].

R. v. Zundel (No. 2), [1992] 2 S.C.R. 731; 140 N.R. 1; 56 O.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 24].

A.A. v. B.B. et al., [2003] O.T.C. 304 (Sup. Ct. Fam. Ct.), refd to. [para. 31].

D.W.T. v. British Columbia (Attorney General) et al., [2003] 1 S.C.R. 835; 304 N.R. 201; 183 B.C.A.C. 1; 301 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 34].

R.K. v. M.S. (2002), 160 O.A.C. 351; 60 O.R.(3d) 187 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 39].

Low v. Low (1994), 4 R.F.L.(4th) 103 (Ont. Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 58].

R. v. Goulet, 1989 CarswellOnt 2454 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. 67].

M.J.Z. v. A.M.Z. (1995), 10 R.F.L.(4th) 384 (Ont. Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 74].

Eve, Re, [1986] 2 S.C.R. 388; 71 N.R. 1; 61 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 273; 185 A.P.R. 273, refd to. [para. 79].

E. (Mrs.) v. Eve - see Eve, Re.

Beson et al. v. Director of Child Welfare (Nfld.), [1982] 2 S.C.R. 716; 44 N.R. 602; 39 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 246; 111 A.P.R. 246, refd to. [para. 81].

B. (D.) v. Newfoundland (Director of Child Welfare) - see Beson et al. v. Director of Child Welfare (Nfld.).

King v. Mr. and Mrs. B., [1985] 1 S.C.R. 87; 57 N.R. 17; 58 A.R. 275, refd to. [para. 83].

K. (K.) v. L. (G.) - see King v. Mr. and Mrs. B.

C.R. v. Children's Aid Society of Hamilton (2004), 8 R.F.L.(6th) 285 (Ont. Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 83].

Baker v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), [1999] 2 S.C.R. 817; 243 N.R. 22, refd to. [para. 84].

Lennox and Addington Family and Children's Services v. T.S. et al., [2000] O.T.C. 267 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 88].

C.G. and M.G. v. Catholic Children's Aid Society of Hamilton-Wentworth (1998), 110 O.A.C. 338; 40 O.R.(3d) 334 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 90].

Children's Aid Society of Metropolitan Toronto v. Dizio (1990), 75 O.R.(2d) 92 (Div. Ct.), refd to. [para. 91].

K.G.D. v. C.A.P., [2004] O.J. No. 3508 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 95].

X. (A Minor), Re, [1975] 1 All E.R. 697 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 107].

R. v. Oakes, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 103; 65 N.R. 87; 14 O.A.C. 335, refd to. [para. 115].

Law v. Minister of Employment and Immigration, [1999] 1 S.C.R. 497; 236 N.R. 1, refd to. [para. 117].

MacKay et al. v. Manitoba, [1989] 2 S.C.R. 357; 99 N.R. 116; 61 Man.R.(2d) 270, refd to. [para. 124].

R. v. Potts (1982), 36 O.R.(2d) 195 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 132].

Gill v. Murray, [2001] B.C.H.R.T.D. No. 34 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 139].

Hodge v. Canada (Minister of Human Resources Development), [2004] 3 S.C.R. 357; 326 N.R. 201, refd to. [para. 157].

Andrews v. Law Society of British Columbia, [1989] 1 S.C.R. 143; 91 N.R. 255, refd to. [para. 165].

Susan Doe v. Canada (Attorney General) et al., [2006] O.T.C. 56 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 167].

Halpern et al. v. Canada (Attorney General) et al. (2003), 172 O.A.C. 276 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 172].

Miron and Valliere v. Trudel et al., [1995] 2 S.C.R. 418; 181 N.R. 253; 81 O.A.C. 253; 124 D.L.R.(4th) 693, refd to. [para. 173].

Schafer et al. v. Canada (Attorney General) et al. (1997), 102 O.A.C. 321; 149 D.L.R.(4th) 705 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 175].

Falkiner et al. v. Director of Income Maintenance (Ont.) et al. (2002), 159 O.A.C. 135 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 178].

M. v. H., [1999] 2 S.C.R. 3; 238 N.R. 179; 121 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 192].

Eldridge et al. v. British Columbia (Attorney General) et al., [1997] 3 S.C.R. 624; 218 N.R. 161; 96 B.C.A.C. 81; 155 W.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 195].

Benner v. Canada (Secretary of State), [1997] 1 S.C.R. 358; 208 N.R. 81, refd to. [para. 197].

Egan and Nesbit v. Canada, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 513; 182 N.R. 161, refd to. [para. 201].

Ardoch Algonquin First Nation and Allies et al. v. Ontario et al., [2000] 1 S.C.R. 950; 255 N.R. 1; 134 O.A.C. 201; 2000 SCC 37, refd to. [para. 202].

Lovelace v. Ontario - see Ardoch Algonquin First Nation and Allies et al. v. Ontario et al.

Vriend et al. v. Alberta, [1998] 1 S.C.R. 493; 224 N.R. 1; 212 A.R. 237; 168 W.A.C. 237, refd to. [para. 240].

RJR-MacDonald Inc. et Imperial Tobacco Ltd. v. Canada (Procureur général), [1995] 3 S.C.R. 199; 187 N.R. 1, refd to. [para. 252].

Fraess v. Alberta (Minister of Justice) et al. (2005), 390 A.R. 280 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 254].

R. v. Beare; R. v. Higgins, [1988] 2 S.C.R. 387; 88 N.R. 205; 71 Sask.R. 1, refd to. [para. 269].

New Brunswick (Minister of Health and Community Services) v. J.G. and D.V., [1999] 3 S.C.R. 46; 244 N.R. 276; 216 N.B.R.(2d) 25; 552 A.P.R. 25, refd to. [para. 270].

Danson v. Ontario (Attorney General), [1990] 2 S.C.R. 1086; 112 N.R. 362; 41 O.A.C. 250; 73 D.L.R.(4th) 686, refd to. [para. 272].

Statutes Noticed:

Children's Law Reform Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C-12, sect. 4 [para. 5].

Interpretation Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. I-11, sect. 10 [para. 26].

Vital Statistics Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. V-4, generally [para. 2].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Australia, Victorian Law Reform Commission, Assisted Reproductive Technology, pp. 16 [para. 227]; 17 [para. 228].

Bernstein, M., and Reimann, R., Queer Families, Queer Politics; Challenging Culture and the State, Alma Mater: Family Outings and the Making of the Modern Other Mother (MOM) (2001), p. 235 [para. 229, footnote 4].

Blackstone, William, Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765), vol. 1, p. 442 [para. 70].

Driedger, Elmer A., Construction of Statutes (2nd Ed. 1983), pp. 87 [para. 22]; 144, 145 [para. 57].

Ontario, Law Reform Commission, Report on Human Artificial Reproduction and Related Matters (1985), vol. 1, pp. 65 [para. 41]; 70 [para. 43].

Sullivan, Ruth, Sullivan and Driedger on the Construction of Statutes (4th Ed. 2002), p. 3 [para. 27].

Sullivan, Ruth, Essentials of Canadian Law of Statutory Interpretation (1st Ed. 1997), pp. 53, 108, 135 [para. 23]; 157 [para. 71].

Wilson, Cassandra M., The Creation of Motherhood; Exploring the Experiences of Lesbian Co-Mothers (2000), 12 J. of Feminist Family Therapy 1, p. 25 [para. 230, footnote 5].

Counsel:

Martha McCarthy and Joanna Radbord, for the applicants;

Vanessa Yolles and Elaine Atkinson, for the respondent.

This application was heard on March 27-29, 2006, by Rivard, J., of the Ontario Superior Court, who released the following decision on June 6, 2006.

Please note: The following judgment has not been edited.