R. v. Curragh Inc., (1993) 124 N.S.R.(2d) 59 (ProvCt)

• Judge: Curran, P.C.J.
• Court: Provincial Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: July 20, 1993
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: (1993), 124 N.S.R.(2d) 59 (ProvCt)

R. v. Curragh Inc. (1993), 124 N.S.R.(2d) 59 (ProvCt);

  345 A.P.R. 59

MLB headnote and full text

Her Majesty The Queen v. Curragh Inc., Gerald J. Phillips and Roger J. Parry

(Nos. 389832; 389839; 389834; 389842; 389835; 389843)

Indexed As: R. v. Curragh Inc. et al.

Nova Scotia Provincial Court

Curran, P.C.J.

July 20, 1993.

Summary:

The accused were charged with man­slaughter and criminal negligence causing death and moved to quash the information.

The Nova Scotia Provincial Court quashed the information.

Criminal Law - Topic 4731

Information or indictment - Charge or count - Indictable offences - Form and content - Date and description of offence - The accused were charged with man­slaughter and criminal negligence causing death - The accused moved to quash the information - The Nova Scotia Provincial Court quashed the information stating that the counts, although technically sufficient, were fundamentally deficient - The court stated that although a charge need not be totally specific, it must adequately identify the transactions giving rise to the charges and give the accused notice - See para­graphs 23 to 32.

Criminal Law - Topic 4735.1

Information or indictment - Charge or count - Indictable offences - Form and content - Defects - Effect of - The accused were charged with manslaughter and criminal negligence causing death - The accused moved to quash the informa­tion - The Nova Scotia Provincial Court stated that only clearly insufficient charges should be quashed while those which lacked detail but still gave notice of the transaction should be upheld - The court stated that disclosure by the Crown is not a remedy to a deficient charge - See para­graphs 18 to 22.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Volpi (1987), 21 O.A.C. 180; 34 C.C.C.(3d) 1 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 1].

R. v. Major (1976), 10 N.S.R.(2d) 348; 25 C.C.C.(2d) 62 (C.A.), affd. (1977), 8 N.R. 210; 14 N.S.R.(2d) 704; 27 C.C.C.(2d) 239 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 5].

R. v. Côté (1978), 13 N.R. 271; 33 C.C.C.(2d) 353 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 6].

R. v. WIS Development Corp., [1984] 1 S.C.R. 485; 53 N.R. 134; 53 A.R. 58, consd. [para. 7].

R. v. Cook (1985), 20 C.C.C.(3d) 18 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 9].

R. v. G.B. et al. (No. 2) (1990), 111 N.R. 31; 86 Sask.R. 111; 77 C.R.(3d) 347 (S.C.C.), consd. [para. 10].

R. v. Moore (1988), 85 N.R. 195; 41 C.R.(3d) 347 (S.C.C.) consd. [para. 11].

R. v. Webster (1993), 78 C.C.C.(3d) 302 (S.C.C.) refd to. [para. 14].

R. v. Stinchcombe, [1991] 3 S.C.R. 326; 130 N.R. 277; 120 A.R. 161; 8 W.A.C. 161; 68 C.C.C.(3d) 1, refd to. [para. 21].

Statutes Noticed:

Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, sect. 219(1), sect. 222(5) [para. 23]; sect. 581(3) [para. 3]; sect. 601(1), sect. 601(3)(b) [para. 2].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Ewaschuk, E.G., Criminal Pleadings and Practice in Canada (2nd Ed. 1987), paras. 9:2010 [para. 5]; 9:6090 [para. 6]; 9:2060, 9:6060, 9:6070 [para. 7].

Mewett, A.W., The Enigma of Man­slaughter (1992), 34 C.L.Q. 362, gen­erally [para. 26].

Counsel:

Herman Felderhof, for the Crown;

Joel E. Pink, Q.C., for Roger Parry;

Bruce Outhouse, Q.C., for Gerald Phillips;

Peter Atkinson, for Curragh Inc.

This motion was heard before Curran, P.C.J., of the Nova Scotia Provincial Court, who delivered the following decision on July 20, 1993.