R. v. Ouellette, (1980) 32 N.R. 361 (SCC)

• Judge: Martland, Ritchie, Pigeon, Dickson, Beetz, Estey and Chouinard, JJ.
• Court: Supreme Court (Canada)
• Case Date: March 18, 1980
• Jurisdiction: Canada (Federal)
• Citations: (1980), 32 N.R. 361 (SCC);[1980] 1 SCR 568;28 BCLR 21;52 CCC (2d) 336;1980 CanLII 165 (SCC);1980 CanLII 9 (SCC);[1980] 1 SCR 431;15 CR (3d) 373;111 DLR (3d) 216

R. v. Ouellette (1980), 32 N.R. 361 (SCC)

MLB headnote and full text

R. v. Ouellette

Indexed As: R. v. Ouellette

Supreme Court of Canada

Martland, Ritchie, Pigeon, Dickson, Beetz, Estey and Chouinard, JJ.

March 18, 1980.

Summary:

This case arose out of the conviction of an accused under s. 233(2) of the Criminal Code by a summary conviction court. The accused was sentenced to a fine of $250. The accused appealed to the Quebec Superior Court.

The Quebec Superior Court dismissed the appeal against conviction but allowed the appeal as to sentence and reduced the fine to $100. The Quebec Superior Court ordered the Crown to pay costs to the accused of $75. The Crown appealed to the Quebec Court of Appeal.

The Quebec Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and ordered the Crown to pay the costs of the appeal of $200. The Crown appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the appeal and affirmed the power of the Quebec Superior Court and the Quebec Court of Appeal to award costs against the Crown.

Crown - Topic 406

Statutes affecting the Crown - General principles - Application by necessary implication - The Supreme Court of Canada stated that the Crown may be implicitly bound by legislation if that is the interpretation which the legislation must be given when it is placed in its context (see paragraphs 20 and 58).

Practice - Topic 8328

Costs of appeal - Criminal appeals - The Supreme Court of Canada affirmed the power of the Quebec Superior Court and the power of the Quebec Court of Appeal to award costs against the Crown on appeals arising out of a conviction under the Criminal Code by a summary conviction court - The Supreme Court of Canada held that be necessary implication the Crown was bound by sections 758 and 771 of the Criminal Code.

Cases Noticed:

Johnson v. The King, [1904] A.C. 817, refd to. [paras. 8 and 46].

Pillai v. King-Emperor (1912-13), 29 T.L.R. 709, refd to. [paras. 8 and 46].

Attorney General of British Columbia v. Canadian Pacific Railway, [1906] A.C. 204, refd to. [paras. 12 and 50].

Royal Bank of Canada v. R., [1913] A.C. 283, refd to. [paras. 12 and 50].

Attorney General of Canada v. Ritchie Contracting and Supply Company, [1919] A.C. 999, refd to. [paras. 12 and 50].

Caron v. The King, [1924] A.C. 999, refd to. [paras. 12 and 50].

Attorney General of Quebec v. Nipissing Central Ry. Co. and Attorney General of Canada, [1926] A.C. 715, refd to. [paras. 12 and 50].

Corporation of the City of Toronto v. The King, [1932] A.C. 98, refd to. [paras. 12 and 50].

Treasurer of Ontario v. Blonde and Treasurer of Ontario v. Aberdein, [1947] A.C. 24, refd to. [paras. 12 and 50].

Attorney General of Saskatchewan v. Canadian Pacific Ry. Co., [1953] A.C. 594, refd to. [paras. 12 and 50].

Attorney General of Ontario v. Winner, [1954] A.C. 541, refd to. [paras. 12 and 50].

Russell v. The Queen (1881-82), 7 A.C. 829, refd to. [paras. 13 and 51].

Attorney General of Ontario v. Mercer (1882-83), 8 A.C. 767, refd to. [paras. 13 and 51].

Hodge v. The Queen (1883-84), 9 A.C. 117, refd to. [paras. 13 and 51].

Attorney General of Quebec v. Reed (1884), 10 A.C. 141, refd to. [paras. 13 and 51].

Liquidators of the Maritime Bank of Canada v. Receiver-General of New Brunswick, [1892] A.C. 437, refd to. [paras. 13 and 51].

British Coal Corporation v. The King, [1935] A.C. 500, refd to. [paras. 14 and 52].

R. v. Royal Bank of Canada (1911), 17 W.L.R. 508, refd to. [paras. 15 and 53].

Attorney General of Canada v. Jackson, [1945] 2 D.L.R. 438, refd to. [paras. 16 and 54].

R. v. Guidry, 1 N.B.R.(2d) 289; [1966] 2 C.C.C. 161, refd to. [paras. 16 and 54].

R. v. Higgins, 32 N.S.R.(2d) 592; 54 A.P.R. 592; [1978] 1 C.R.(3d) 382, refd to. [paras. 17 and 55].

Ferguson v. Attorney General of Canada, [1971] 2 W.W.R. 637, refd to. [paras. 18 and 56].

Re Imperial Canadian Trust, [1942] 2 D.L.R. 96, refd to. [paras. 18 and 56].

Provincial Treasurer of Manitoba v. Minister of Finance of Canada, [1943] S.C.R. 370, refd to. [paras. 18 and 56].

Statutes Noticed:

Criminal Code of Canada, R.S.C. 1970, c. C-34, sect. 738(4) [paras. 22 and 60]; sect. 744(1) [paras. 23 and 61]; sect. 752.1 [paras. 28 and 66]; sect. 758, sect. 759(1) [paras. 32 and 70]; sect. 771 [paras. 36 and 74].

Interpretation Act, R.S.C. 1970, c. I-23, sect. 16 [paras. 4 and 42].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, 18th Ed. (1829), vol. 3, page 399 [paras. 7 and 45].

Chitty, Joseph, A Treatise on the Law of the Prerogatives of the Crown (1820), page 310 [paras. 7 and 45].

Counsel:

Jean-Marie Tanguay, for the appellant;

Richard Perras, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard by MARTLAND, RITCHIE, PIGEON, DICKSON, BEETZ, ESTEY and CHOUINARD, JJ. of the Supreme Court of Canada at Ottawa, Ontario on December 6, 1979.

The judgment of the Supreme Court of Canada was delivered by BEETZ, J. on March 18, 1980 - see paragraphs 1 to 38 (English language judgment) and paragraphs 39 to 76 (French language judgment).