R. v. Curragh Inc. et al. (No. 2), (1993) 125 N.S.R.(2d) 185 (ProvCt)

• Judge: Curran, P.C.J.
• Court: Provincial Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: October 26, 1993
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: (1993), 125 N.S.R.(2d) 185 (ProvCt)

R. v. Curragh Inc. (1993), 125 N.S.R.(2d) 185 (ProvCt);

  349 A.P.R. 185

MLB headnote and full text

Her Majesty The Queen v. Curragh Inc., Gerald J. Phillips and Roger J. Parry (No. 2)

(Nos. 408176; 408178; 408180; 408184; 408188; 408190)

Indexed As: R. v. Curragh Inc. et al. (No. 2)

Nova Scotia Provincial Court

Curran, P.C.J.

October 26, 1993.

Summary:

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

The Nova Scotia Provincial Court dismissed the application.

Civil Rights - Topic 8585

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Practice - Time for deciding Charter issues - The Nova Scotia Provincial Court held that the Criminal Code did not give a Provincial Court judge the authority to decide constitutional questions before the accused had been arraigned - See para­graph 18.

Criminal Law - Topic 1316

Manslaughter - Unlawful act - What constitutes - The accused, Curragh was charged with committing manslaughter by acting contrary to s. 9(1)(f) of the Occupa­tional Health and Safety Act - The accused Phillips and Parry were charged with committing manslaughter by contra­vening s. 70(1) of the Coal Mines Regula­tion Act - The Nova Scotia Provincial Court stated that the breach of a provincial offence, other than those of absolute lia­bility, can be the basis of unlawful act manslaughter - The court also stated that the expiration of the limitation period for the provincial offence does not render the unlawful act lawful - See paragraphs 4 to 14.

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 claimed the time was not precisely stated in the information - The Nova Scotia Provincial Court held that imprecision with respect to time did not render the information void - If time was crucial to some aspect of responsibility, the Crown was required to prove it at trial - See paragraphs 15 to 16.

Criminal Law - Topic 4735.2

Information or indictment - Charge or count - Indictable offences - Form and content - Requirement of one count for each transaction - The accused were charged with manslaughter and criminal negligence causing death - The accused moved to quash the informa­tion - The Nova Scotia Provincial Court held that a single transaction could be made up of a series of related events or take place over a long period of time - Allegations of a general scheme of operations constituting a continuing offence and a single transac­tion does not violate the single transaction requirement in s. 581(3) - See paragraph 17.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Creighton (1993), 157 N.R. 1 (S.C.C.), appld. [para. 4].

R. v. Gosset (1993), 157 N.R. 195 (S.C.C.), appld. [para. 4].

R. v. DeSousa, [1992] 2 S.C.R. 944; 142 N.R. 1; 56 O.A.C. 109; 76 C.C.C.(3d) 124, refd to. [para. 6].

R. v. Celebrity Enterprises Ltd. (No. 2) (1979), 42 C.C.C.(2d) 478 (B.C.C.A.), dist. [para. 7].

R. v. Curragh Inc. et al. (1993), 124 N.S.R.(2d) 59; 345 A.P.R. 59 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. 10].

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. 13].

Brodie v. R., [1936] S.C.R. 188, refd to. [para. 14].

R. v. ITT Industries of Canada Ltd. (1987), 39 C.C.C.(3d) 268 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 14].

R. v. G.B. et al. (No. 2), [1990] 2 S.C.R. 30; 111 N.R. 31; 86 Sask.R. 111; 56 C.C.C.(3d) 200; 77 C.R.(3d) 347, refd to. [para. 15].

R. v. German (1989), 77 Sask.R. 310; 51 C.C.C.(3d) 175 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 17].

R. v. Kisinger and Voszler (1972), 6 C.C.C.(2d) 212 (Alta. C.A.), refd to. [para. 17].

R. v. Seaboyer and Gayme, [1991] 2 S.C.R. 577; 128 N.R. 81; 48 O.A.C. 81; 66 C.C.C.(3d) 321; 50 C.R.(3d) 395, refd to. [para. 18].

R. v. A.G.W. (1992), 146 N.R. 141; 103 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 48; 326 A.P.R. 48; 78 C.C.C.(3d) 302 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 22].

Statutes Noticed:

Coal Mines Regulation Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 73, sect. 70(1) [para. 2].

Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, sect. 220 [para. 1]; sect. 222(5)(a), sect. 234 [para. 4]; sect. 236 [para. 2]; sect. 581(3) [para. 10].

Occupational Health and Safety Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 320, sect. 9(1)(f) [para. 3].

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 October 26, 1993.