R. v. MacLennan (J.W.), (1995) 138 N.S.R.(2d) 369 (CA)

• Judge: Chipman, Freeman and Roscoe, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: January 30, 1995
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: (1995), 138 N.S.R.(2d) 369 (CA);1995 CanLII 4340 (NS CA);97 CCC (3d) 69;[1995] NSJ No 77 (QL);11 MVR (3d) 42;138 NSR (2d) 369;394 APR 369

R. v. MacLennan (J.W.) (1995), 138 N.S.R.(2d) 369 (CA);

  394 A.P.R. 369

MLB headnote and full text

Her Majesty the Queen (appellant) v. John Wayne MacLennan (respondent)

(C.A.C. No. 108237)

Indexed As: R. v. MacLennan (J.W.)

Nova Scotia Court of Appeal

Chipman, Freeman and Roscoe, JJ.A.

February 20, 1995.

Summary:

The accused was charged with driving with an excessive blood-alcohol level contrary to s. 253(b) of the Criminal Code.

The Nova Scotia Provincial Court con­victed the accused. The accused appealed his conviction.

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court, in a decision reported at 133 N.S.R.(2d) 196; 380 A.P.R. 196, allowed the appeal and quashed the conviction. The Crown appealed.

The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and restored the conviction.

Civil Rights - Topic 1404.1

Security of the person - Law enforcement - Breath samples - A police officer stopped the accused's car after she noted a passenger putting on his seat belt - The officer gave a breathalyzer demand after noting a strong odour of alcohol, that the accused's speech and movements were slow, he fumbled with his documents and he swayed when he walked - The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal held that the stop was arbitrary detention and violated the accused's s. 9 rights but was justified under s. 1 of the Charter.

Civil Rights - Topic 3603

Detention and imprisonment - Detention - What constitutes arbitrary detention - [See Civil Rights - Topic 1404.1 ].

Civil Rights - Topic 8348

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Application - Exceptions - Reasonable limits prescribed by law (Charter, s.1) - [See Civil Rights - Topic 1404.1 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 1372

Motor vehicles - Impaired driving - Breathalyzer demand - Reasonable grounds - [See Civil Rights - Topic 1404.1 ].

Police - Topic 3208

Powers - Direction - Random or arbitrary stopping of persons - The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal stated that "Police in Nova Scotia are justified in stopping vehicles at random ... for the purpose of controlling traffic on the highway by in­specting licensing, registration and in­surance documents, the mechanical condi­tion of vehicles, and to detect impaired drivers. Random stops are arbitrary deten­tions which infringe s. 9 of the Charter but which are saved under s. 1. The driver is not entitled to the right to counsel ... dur­ing the period, which must be as brief as possible ... Observations of drivers made in the course of inspecting documents ... are relevant to the formation of a reasonable suspicion of the presence of alcohol in the driver's body sufficient to justify an ALERT demand ... They may also justify a breathalyzer demand" - See paragraphs 60 to 64.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Bernshaw (N.) (1995), 176 N.R. 81; 53 B.C.A.C. 1; 87 W.A.C. 1 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. Pierman (M.B.) (1994), 73 O.A.C. 287 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 21].

R. v. Wilson, [1990] 1 S.C.R. 1291; 108 N.R. 207; 107 A.R. 321; 56 C.C.C.(3d) 142, appld. [para. 29].

R. v. Baroni (1989), 91 N.S.R.(2d) 295; 233 A.P.R. 295 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 31].

R. v. Dedman, [1985] 2 S.C.R. 2; 60 N.R. 34; 11 O.A.C. 241; 46 C.R.(3d) 193; 20 C.C.C.(3d) 97; 34 M.V.R. 1, refd to. [para. 34].

R. v. Hufsky, [1988] 1 S.C.R. 621; 84 N.R. 365; 27 O.A.C. 103; 40 C.C.C.(3d) 398; 63 C.R.(3d) 14; 4 M.V.R.(2d) 170; 32 C.R.R. 193, refd to. [para. 38].

R. v. Ladouceur, [1990] 1 S.C.R. 1257; 108 N.R. 171; 40 O.A.C. 1; 77 C.R.(3d) 110; 56 C.C.C.(3d) 22; 21 M.V.R.(2d) 165, refd to. [para. 38].

R. v. Waterfield, [1963] 3 All E.R. 659 (C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 39].

R. v. Mellenthin, [1992] 3 S.C.R. 615; 144 N.R. 50; 135 A.R. 1; 33 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 52].

R. v. Yebes, [1987] 2 S.C.R. 168; 78 N.R. 351; 36 C.C.C.(3d) 417; 59 C.R.(3d) 108; 17 B.C.L.R.(2d) 1; [1987] 6 W.W.R. 97; 43 D.L.R.(4th) 424, refd to. [para. 57].

R. v. Rilling, [1976] 2 S.C.R. 183; 5 N.R. 327, refd to. [para. 58].

R. v. Bartle (K.) (1994), 172 N.R. 1; 74 O.A.C. 161 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 59].

Statutes Noticed:

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982, sect. 1 [para. 18]; sect. 7 [para. 45]; sect. 8, sect. 9 [para. 3]; sect. 10(b), sect. 24(2) [para. 4].

Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, sect. 254(2) [para. 62].

Motor Vehicle Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 293, sect. 18 [para. 35]; sect. 78(2) [para. 33]; sect. 83(1) [para. 27].

Counsel:

Robert C. Hagell, for the appellant;

Curtis C. Palmer, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on January 30, 1995, at Halifax, Nova Scotia, before Chip­man, Freeman and Roscoe, JJ.A., of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal. On February 20, 1995, Freeman, J.A., delivered the fol­lowing judgment for the court.