R. v. Jacob (G.), (1996) 95 O.A.C. 241 (CA)

• Judge: Osborne, Weiler and Austin, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (Ontario)
• Case Date: May 02, 1996
• Jurisdiction: Ontario
• Citations: (1996), 95 O.A.C. 241 (CA)

R. v. Jacob (G.) (1996), 95 O.A.C. 241 (CA)

MLB headnote and full text

Her Majesty the Queen (respondent) v. Gwen Jacob (appellant)

(C12668)

Indexed As: R. v. Jacob (G.)

Ontario Court of Appeal

Osborne, Weiler and Austin, JJ.A.

December 9, 1996.

Summary:

The accused was convicted of committing an indecent act contrary to s. 173(1)(a) of the Criminal Code for walking down a street and sitting on the porch of a residence with her breasts uncovered. The accused appealed.

The Ontario Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, set aside the conviction and acquitted the accused.

Criminal Law - Topic 747

Disorderly conduct - Indecent exposure or indecent acts - On a hot summer day, the female accused walked along several city streets while having uncovered breasts and sat on the porch of a residence - When she was confronted by police and asked to put on her top, she refused, claim­ing that she had a right to expose her breasts since men could do so - She was convicted of com­mitting an indecent act con­trary to s. 173(1)(a) of the Criminal Code - The accused appealed - The Ontario Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and acquitted the accused, holding that the accused did not exceed the com­mun­ity standard of toler­ance and her actions there­fore did not constitute an indecent act.

Criminal Law - Topic 747

Disorderly conduct - Indecent exposure or indecent acts - Section 173(1)(a) of the Criminal Code provided that every one who wilfully does an indecent act in a public place in the presence of one or more persons is guilty of an offence pun­ishable on summary convic­tion - The Ontario Court of Appeal held that to be an indecent act as pro­scribed by s. 173(1)(a) the Act did not have to have a sexual con­text - Rather the test to measure whether an act was indecent was the com­munity standard of tolerance test - See paragraphs 13 to 44.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Verrette, [1978] 2 S.C.R. 838; 21 N.R. 571; 40 C.C.C.(2d) 273, refd to. [paras. 20, 78].

R. v. Giambalvo (1982), 70 C.C.C.(2d) 324 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [paras. 23, 78].

R. v. Mara (P.) et al. (1996), 88 O.A.C. 358; 27 O.R.(3d) 643 (C.A.), refd to. [paras. 27, 57].

R. v. Pelletier (1985), 27 C.C.C.(3d) 77 (Que. S.C.), refd to. [paras. 27, 71].

R. v. St. Pierre (1974), 3 O.R.(2d) 642 (C.A.), refd to. [paras. 28, 84].

Luscher v. Minister of National Revenue (1985), 57 N.R. 386; 17 D.L.R.(4th) 503 (F.C.A.), refd to. [para. 29].

R. v. Butler and McCord, [1992] 1 S.C.R. 452; 134 N.R. 81; 78 Man.R.(2d) 1; 16 W.A.C. 1; 70 C.C.C.(3d) 129, refd to. [paras. 32, 67].

R. v. Tremblay et autres, [1993] 2 S.C.R. 932; 156 N.R. 30; 57 Q.A.C. 161; 84 C.C.C.(3d) 97, refd to. [paras. 39, 57].

R. v. Towne Cinema Theatres Ltd., [1985] 1 S.C.R. 494; 59 N.R. 101; 61 A.R. 35; 45 C.R.(3d) 1; 18 D.L.R.(4th) 1; 18 C.C.C.(3d) 193, refd to. [paras. 41, 66].

R. v. Hawkins (A.P.) et al. (1993), 66 O.A.C. 46; 86 C.C.C.(3d) 246 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused (1994), 175 N.R. 158; 72 O.A.C. 239; 17 O.R.(3d) xvi (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 42].

R. v. Arnold, [1993] O.J. No. 471 (Prov. Div.), refd to. [para. 43].

Royal Trust Co. v. Potash, [1986] 2 S.C.R. 351; 69 N.R. 286; 44 Man.R.(2d) 30; 31 D.L.R.(4th) 321, refd to. [para. 61, foot­note 1].

R. v. Hicklin (1868), L.R. 3 Q.B. 360, refd to. [para. 62].

R. v. Stanley, [1965] 1 All E.R. 1035 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 63].

Brodie v. R., [1962] S.C.R. 681, refd to. [para. 65].

Lady Chatterley's Lover Case - see Brodie v. R.

R. v. Hawkshaw, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 668; 66 N.R. 350; 15 O.A.C. 308, refd to. [para. 68].

Popert v. R. (1981), 58 C.C.C.(2d) 505 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 69].

R. v. Beaupre (1971), 7 C.C.C.(2d) 320 (B.C.S.C.), refd to. [para. 71].

R. v. Springer (1975), 24 C.C.C.(2d) 56 (Sask. Dist. Ct.), refd to. [para. 71].

R. v. Bennett (1975), 29 C.C.C.(2d) 403 (B.C.S.C.), refd to. [para. 71].

R. v. Hecker (1980), 58 C.C.C.(2d) 66 (Yuk. Terr. Ct.), refd to. [para. 71].

Johnson v. R., [1975] 2 S.C.R. 160; 13 C.C.C.(2d) 402, refd to. [para. 72].

R. v. Chase, [1987] 2 S.C.R. 293; 80 N.R. 247; 82 N.B.R.(2d) 229; 208 A.P.R. 229; 37 C.C.C.(3d) 97, refd to. [para. 75].

R. v. Alderton (1985), 7 O.A.C. 121; 17 C.C.C.(3d) 204 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 75].

R. v. Taylor (1985), 59 A.R. 179; 19 C.C.C.(3d) 156 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 75].

R. v. Hess; R. v. Nguyen, [1990] 2 S.C.R. 906; 119 N.R. 353; 46 O.A.C. 13; 73 Man.R.(2d) 1; 3 W.A.C. 1; [1990] 6 W.W.R. 289; 79 C.R.(3d) 332; 59 C.C.C.(3d) 161, refd to. [para. 76, foot­note 4].

Conway v. Canada, [1993] 2 S.C.R. 872; 154 N.R. 392, refd to. [para. 76, foot­note 4].

R. v. F.D. (1992), 12 O.R.(3d) 725 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 76, footnote 4].

Attorney General v. P.Y.A. Quarries Ltd., [1957] 1 All E.R. 894 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 81].

Reference Re Sections 193 and 195.1(1)(c) of the Criminal Code, [1990] 1 S.C.R. 1123; 109 N.R. 81; 68 Man.R.(2d) 1; 56 C.C.C.(3d) 65; 77 C.R.(3d) 1; [1990] 4 W.W.R. 481, refd to. [para. 81].

Prostitution Reference - see Reference Re Sections 193 and 195.1(1)(c) of the Criminal Code.

R. v. Dieleman (1995), 20 O.R.(3d) 229 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 81].

Statutes Noticed:

Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, sect. 163(8) [para. 31]; sect. 173(1)(a) [para. 1 et seq.]; sect. 173 [para. 14]; sect. 174(1) [paras. 14, 77]; sect. 174(2), sect. 174(3) [para. 77].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Canada, Hansard, House of Commons Debates, May 25, 1892, p. 2968 [para. 62, footnote 2].

Then, Edward F., and Campbell, Kenneth L., The Law of Obscenity, National Criminal Law Program on Substantive Criminal Law (1986), pp. 20 [para. 70]; 21 [paras. 62, 70].

Counsel:

Margaret Buist, for the appellant;

Catherine Cooper and Catherine Braid, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on May 2, 1996, before Osborne, Weiler and Austin, JJ.A., of the Ontario Court of Appeal. The following judgment was released on December 9, 1996, including the following opinions:

Osborne, J.A. (Austin, J.A., concurring) - see paragraphs 1 to 54;

Weiler, J.A. (concurring in the result) - see paragraphs 55 to 87.