R. v. Pourlotfali (J.), 2016 ONCA 490
| Judge | Simmons, van Rensburg and Benotto, JJ.A. |
| Court | Court of Appeal (Ontario) |
| Case Date | June 20, 2016 |
| Jurisdiction | Ontario |
| Citations | 2016 ONCA 490;(2016), 350 O.A.C. 185 (CA) |
R. v. Pourlotfali (J.) (2016), 350 O.A.C. 185 (CA)
MLB headnote and full text
Temp. Cite: [2016] O.A.C. TBEd. JN.027
Her Majesty the Queen (appellant) v. Jamileh Pourlotfali (respondent)
(C60395; 2016 ONCA 490)
Indexed As: R. v. Pourlotfali (J.)
Ontario Court of Appeal
Simmons, van Rensburg and Benotto, JJ.A.
June 20, 2016.
Summary:
The accused convenience store clerk was charged with selling cigarettes to a person under age 19 contrary to s. 3(1) of the Smoke-Free Ontario Act. The person produced identification (OHIP card) with a 1996 birth date, making her 17. The accused testified that she looked at the card, but misread it as 1994 (age 19). Her only rationale for the error was that she must have been busy or distracted. Section 3(3) provided a defence where the accused believed the person was 19 years of age because the person produced a prescribed form of identification showing his or her age and there was no apparent reason to doubt the authenticity of the document. A Justice of the Peace convicted the accused. The accused appealed.
The Ontario Court of Justice allowed the appeal and substituted an acquittal. The court held that the accused believed the person to be 19 years of age based on human error. The Crown appealed on the ground that the court erred in failing to consider whether the accused's belief was reasonable.
The Ontario Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and restored the conviction. Section 3(3) set out a statutory due diligence defence to a strict liability offence. The defence applied whether the accused had a reasonable belief that the person was 19 years of age after having exercised all reasonable care by requesting and reviewing the prescribed form of identification. The identification presented showed the person to be 17 years of age. The Court of Justice erred in finding that the accused had a defence under s. 3(3) based solely on her "human error".
Trade Regulation - Topic 5266
Retailers - Offences - Particular offences - Selling tobacco to a minor - See paragraphs 16 to 70.
Trade Regulation - Topic 5271
Retailers - Offences - Particular offences - Defences - Due diligence - See paragraphs 16 to 70.
Trials - Topic 1172
Summary convictions - Strict liability offences - Defence of due diligence or error of fact - See paragraphs 16 to 70.
Counsel:
Deanna Exner, Donna Glassman and Kristin Smith, for the appellant;
David Reiter, Selwyn J. Hicks and Meghan Cowan, for the respondent;
Paul Burstein, for the intervenor Ontario Convenience Stores Association.
This appeal was heard on November 26, 2015, before Simmons, van Rensburg and Benotto, JJ.A., of the Ontario Court of Appeal.
On June 20, 2016, van Rensburg, J.A., delivered the following judgment for the Court of Appeal.
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Table of cases
...R v Poulin, 2019 SCC 47 ............................................................................... 68, 567 R v Pourlotfali, 2016 ONCA 490 ................................................................ 264, 266 R v Powell (1989), 81 Sask R 301, 52 CCC (3d) 403, 19 MVR (2d) 36 (CA) .........
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Table of Cases
...177, 438, 439 R v Potash (1994), 91 CCC (3d) 315 (SCC) .......................................................... 36 R v Pourlotfali, 2016 ONCA 490 ................................................................ 252, 254 R v Powell (1989), 81 Sask R 301, 52 CCC (3d) 403, 19 MVR (2d) 36 (CA......
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Regulatory Offences and Corporate Crime
...on a mistake 48 Sault Ste Marie , above note 4 at 373. 49 Above note 17 at paras 17 and 19. 50 Ibid at para 30. 51 R v Pourlotfali , 2016 ONCA 490 [ Pourlotfali ]. Regulatory Ofences and Corporate Crime 265 of law to explain the commission of the ofence.” 52 The Court recognized that the be......
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Regulatory Offences and Corporate Crime
...but received 48 Sault Ste Marie , above note 4 at 373. 49 Above note 17 at paras 17 and 19. 50 Ibid at para 30. 51 R v Pourlotfali , 2016 ONCA 490 [ Pourlotfali ]. Regulatory Offences and Corporate Crime 253 no reply until the regulator charged it with fifty-six regulatory offences six mont......
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R. v. Matthews (N.), 2016 NLPC 1301088093
...unless she can establish that she took all reasonable care (see R. v. Turnbull , 2016 NLCA 25, at paragraph 30 and R. v. Pourlotfali , 2016 ONCA 490, at paragraph 33). [8] The actus reus of the offence in this case requires proof that Ms. Matthews parked a vehicle in a manner which would ob......
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2813127 Ontario Inc. v. His Majesty the King,
...A key focus of the legislation is to prevent minors from smoking by restricting their access to tobacco products. (R. v. Pourlotfali, 2016 ONCA 490, 132 O.R. (3d) 136, at para. [17] Under s. 22(2) of the SFOA, 2017, the Minister is......
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R. v. Elford (A.), 2016 NLPC 1316
...care to avoid committing the actus reus of the offence (see R. v. Turnbull , 2016 NLCA 25, at paragraph 30 and R. v. Pourlotfali , 2016 ONCA 490, at paragraph 33). It is important to understand that the Crown does not have to prove that Mr. Elford intended to breach section 106(27) of the H......
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Court Of Appeal Summaries (June 20-24, 2016)
...for the appellant Perruccio and J. Frustaglio, for the respondent Keywords: Endorsement, Evidence CRIMINAL DECISIONS R v. Pourlotfali, 2016 ONCA 490 [Simmons, van Rensburg and Benotto JJ.A] Counsel: D. Exner, D. Glassman and K. Smith, for the appellant Reiter, S. J. Hicks and M. Cowan, for ......
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Table of cases
...R v Poulin, 2019 SCC 47 ............................................................................... 68, 567 R v Pourlotfali, 2016 ONCA 490 ................................................................ 264, 266 R v Powell (1989), 81 Sask R 301, 52 CCC (3d) 403, 19 MVR (2d) 36 (CA) .........
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Table of Cases
...177, 438, 439 R v Potash (1994), 91 CCC (3d) 315 (SCC) .......................................................... 36 R v Pourlotfali, 2016 ONCA 490 ................................................................ 252, 254 R v Powell (1989), 81 Sask R 301, 52 CCC (3d) 403, 19 MVR (2d) 36 (CA......
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Regulatory Offences and Corporate Crime
...on a mistake 48 Sault Ste Marie , above note 4 at 373. 49 Above note 17 at paras 17 and 19. 50 Ibid at para 30. 51 R v Pourlotfali , 2016 ONCA 490 [ Pourlotfali ]. Regulatory Ofences and Corporate Crime 265 of law to explain the commission of the ofence.” 52 The Court recognized that the be......
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Regulatory Offences and Corporate Crime
...but received 48 Sault Ste Marie , above note 4 at 373. 49 Above note 17 at paras 17 and 19. 50 Ibid at para 30. 51 R v Pourlotfali , 2016 ONCA 490 [ Pourlotfali ]. Regulatory Offences and Corporate Crime 253 no reply until the regulator charged it with fifty-six regulatory offences six mont......