R. v. Malcolm (R.E.)

• Jurisdiction: Manitoba
• Court: Court of Appeal (Manitoba)
• Judge: Philp, Twaddle and Helper, JJ.A.
• Neutral Citation: 2000 MBCA 77
• Citation: 2000 MBCA 77,(2000), 148 Man.R.(2d) 143 (CA),[2000] 8 WWR 438,147 CCC (3d) 34,35 CR (5th) 365,[2000] MJ No 387 (QL),148 Man R (2d) 143,148 ManR(2d) 143,148 Man.R.(2d) 143,(2000), 148 ManR(2d) 143 (CA),[2000] M.J. No 387 (QL)
• Date: 19 May 2000

R. v. Malcolm (R.E.) (2000), 148 Man.R.(2d) 143 (CA);

    224 W.A.C. 143

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2000] Man.R.(2d) TBEd. JL.051

Her Majesty The Queen (appellant) v. Randy Edward Malcolm (accused/respondent)

(AR 99-30-04416; 2000 MBCA 77)

Indexed As: R. v. Malcolm (R.E.)

Manitoba Court of Appeal

Philp, Twaddle and Helper, JJ.A.

July 14, 2000.

Summary:

The accused was acquitted of sexual assault on the basis that he honestly but mistakenly believed that the complainant had consented to the sexual activity. The Crown appealed, submitting that, in this case, s. 273.2(b) of the Criminal Code eliminated the defence of consent. Accordingly, the trial judge should have considered whether the accused took reasonable steps to assure himself that the complainant was knowingly consenting to the sexual activity.

The Manitoba Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and ordered a new trial.

Criminal Law - Topic 666

Sexual offences - Rape or sexual assault - Consent - [See Criminal Law - Topic 674 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 674

Sexual offences - Rape or sexual assault - Defences - Mistake of fact - The accused was acquitted on a charge of sexual assault on the basis that he honestly but mistaken­ly believed that the complainant had con­sented to the sexual activity - The Mani­toba Court of Appeal allowed the Crown's appeal and ordered a new trial - The trial judge was required to consider s. 273.2(b) of the Criminal Code where there was an air of reality to the accused's assertion of honest belief in consent and the accused was neither wilfully blind nor reckless in that belief, but circumstances existed which called into question the reasonable­ness of the accused's actions - If a reason­able man would have taken further steps before proceeding with the sexual activity and the accused did not do so, then the accused was not entitled to the defence - In this case, the trial judge failed to make a factual finding on whether the accused took reasonable steps in the circumstances and failed to refer to evidence that could support such a finding.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Ewanchuk (S.B.), [1999] 1 S.C.R. 330; 235 N.R. 323, refd to. [para. 6].

R. v. Sansregret, [1985] 1 S.C.R. 570; 58 N.R. 123; 35 Man.R.(2d) 1; 18 C.C.C.(3d) 223, refd to. [para. 12].

R. v. Esau (A.J.), [1997] 2 S.C.R. 777; 214 N.R. 241; 116 C.C.C.(3d) 289, refd to. [para. 17].

R. v. Daigle (S.), [1998] 1 S.C.R. 1220; 228 N.R. 201, refd to. [para. 18].

R. v. Darrach (A.S.) (1998), 107 O.A.C. 81; 122 C.C.C.(3d) 225 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. R.G. (1994), 38 C.R.(4th) 123 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. Osvath (C.) (1996), 87 O.A.C. 274; 46 C.R.(4th) 124 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. Redcliffe, [1994] O.J. No. 2178 (Gen. Div.), revd. [1995] O.J. No. 942 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 22].

R. v. Burns (R.H.), [1994] 1 S.C.R. 656; 165 N.R. 374; 42 B.C.A.C. 161; 67 W.A.C. 161; 89 C.C.C.(3d) 193; 29 C.R.(4th) 113, refd to. [para. 26].

R. v. D.R., H.R. and D.W., [1996] 2 S.C.R. 291; 197 N.R. 321; 144 Sask.R. 81; 124 W.A.C. 81; 107 C.C.C.(3d) 289, refd to. [para. 37].

R. v. McMaster (R.A.) et al., [1996] 1 S.C.R. 740; 194 N.R. 278; 181 A.R. 199; 116 W.A.C. 199; 105 C.C.C.(3d) 193, refd to. [para. 37].

Statutes Noticed:

Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, sect. 273.2 [para. 1].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Boyle, Christine, and MacCrimmon, Marilyn, The Constitutionality of Bill C-49: Analyzing Sexual Assault As If Equality Really Mattered (1998), 41 C.L.Q. 198, p. 214 [para. 15].

McInnes, John, and Boyle, Christine, Judg­ing Sexual Assault Law Against a Stan­dard of Equality (1995), 29 U.B.C.L.Rev. 341, pp. 361 to 362 [para. 14].

Stuart, Don, The Pendulum Has Been Pushed Too Far (1993), 42 U.N.B.L.J. 349, p. 352 [para. 13].

Way, Rosemary Cairns, Bill C-49 and the Politics of Constitutionalized Fault (1993), 42 U.N.B.L.J. 325, pp. 329 to 330 [para. 14].

Counsel:

G.A. Lawlor, for the appellant;

R.W. Dawson, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on May 19, 2000, before Philp, Twaddle and Helper, JJ.A., of the Manitoba Court of Appeal. On July 14, 2000, Helper, J.A., delivered the following judgment for the court.