R. v. Shergill (S.), (1997) 22 O.T.C. 282 (GD)

JudgeD.S. Ferguson, J.
CourtOntario Court of Justice General Division (Canada)
Case DateJanuary 08, 1997
JurisdictionOntario
Citations(1997), 22 O.T.C. 282 (GD)

R. v. Shergill (S.) (1997), 22 O.T.C. 282 (GD)

MLB headnote and full text

Her Majesty The Queen (respondent) v. Sukhvinder Shergill (applicant)

(Court File No. 7959)

Indexed As: R. v. Shergill (S.)

Ontario Court of Justice

General Division

D.S. Ferguson, J.

January 8, 1997.

Summary:

Shergill was charged with first degree murder. Shergill claimed that his wife committed the murder. His wife was a principal witness for the Crown. However, the wife had originally been charged with the offence. Later she was charged with obstructing the police and being an accessory after the fact of the murder. She pleaded guilty to the obstructing charge and the other charge was dropped. The wife separated from Shergill. The wife had a lawyer to represent her in the family law dispute and another to represent her in the criminal matter. Both matters had been concluded. At trial, Shergill applied for production of the files from the lawyers who had represented his wife in the family law and in the criminal matters. Shergill wanted to know, inter alia, what his wife told her criminal counsel about their respective roles in the murder. The wife opposed the application by invoking solicitor-client privilege.

The Ontario Court (General Division) granted Shergill access to part of the file held by the lawyer who represented the wife in the criminal matter.

Barristers and Solicitors - Topic 1623

Relationship with client - Duty of confidentiality (or professional secrecy) - Disclosure to court - See paragraphs 1 to 48.

Criminal Law - Topic 5382

Evidence and witnesses - Documents and reports - Legal records of witness - See paragraphs 1 to 48.

Practice - Topic 4577.1

Discovery - What documents must be produced - Privileged documents - Solicitor's files, notes, etc. - See paragraphs 1 to 48.

Practice - Topic 4604

Discovery - Production of documents by nonparties - When ordered - See paragraphs 1 to 48.

Practice - Topic 4615

Discovery - Production of documents by nonparties - Legal records held by witnesses' lawyer - See paragraphs 1 to 48.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. O'Connor (H.P.), [1995] 4 S.C.R. 411; 191 N.R. 1; 68 B.C.A.C. 1; 112 W.A.C. 1; [1996] 2 W.W.R. 153; 103 C.C.C.(3d) 1, appld. [para. 6].

R. v. Dunbar (1982), 68 C.C.C.(2d) 13 (Ont. C.A.), consd. [para. 15].

R. v. Speid (1983), 8 C.C.C.(3d) 18 (Ont. C.A.), consd. [para. 15].

R. v. Seaboyer and Gayme, [1991] 2 S.C.R. 577; 128 N.R. 81; 48 O.A.C. 81; 66 C.C.C.(3d) 321; 7 C.R.(4th) 117; 83 D.L.R.(4th) 193, consd. [para. 15].

Neku v. United States (1993), 620 A.2d 259 (D.C. App.), refd to. [para. 16].

United States v. Franzen (1982), 688 F.2d 496 (U.S.C.A. 7th Cir.), refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. Hale (K.G.) (1992), 116 N.S.R. 348; 320 A.P.R. 348 (Co. Ct.), dist. [para. 19].

R. v. Harris (1994), 74 O.A.C. 398; 93 C.C.C.(3d) 478 (C.A.), consd. [para. 20].

R. v. Yarema (1996), 27 O.R.(3d) 177 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 20].

Statutes Noticed:

Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, sect. 698(1) [para. 20].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Manes, Ronald D., and Silver, Michael P., Solicitor-Client Privilege in Canadian Law (1993), p. 1 [para. 13].

Counsel:

S. MacLean and P. Murray, for the respondent;

P. Burstein and A. Bryant, for the applicant.

This application was heard on December 6 and 9, 1996, before D.S. Ferguson, J., of the Ontario Court (General Division), who released the following judgment on January 8, 1997.

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3 practice notes
  • R. v. Dunbar, Pollard, Leiding and Kravit,
    • Canada
    • Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
    • December 9, 2003
    ...4 S.C.R. 411; 191 N.R. 1; 68 B.C.A.C. 1; 112 W.A.C. 1; 33 C.R.(4th) 1; 103 C.C.C.(3d) 1, consd. [para. 48]. R. v. Shergill (S.) (1997), 22 O.T.C. 282 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 58]. R. v. S.S. - see R. v. Shergill (S.). R. v. Heyden, [1998] O.J. No. 6265 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 58]. ......
  • R. v. Heyden (J.C.) and Vanderheyden (W.A.), (1998) 94 O.T.C. 31 (GD)
    • Canada
    • Ontario Ontario Court of Justice General Division (Canada)
    • February 24, 1998
    ...130 D.L.R.(4th) 235; 103 C.C.C.(3d) 1, folld. [para. 6]. Von Bulow, Re (1987), 828 F.2d 94, refd to. [para. 9]. R. v. Shergill (S.) (1997), 22 O.T.C. 282 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 10]. Descôteaux et Centre Communautaire Juridique de Montréal v. Mierzwinski et al., [1982] 1 S.C.R. 860; 44......
  • R. v. Heyden (J.C.) and Vanderheyden (W.A.), [1998] O.T.C. 16 (GD)
    • Canada
    • Ontario Ontario Court of Justice General Division (Canada)
    • November 30, 1998
    ...1 to 4. Cases Noticed: R. v. Dunbar and Logan (1982), 68 C.C.C.(2d) 13 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 2]. R. v. Shergill (S.) (1997), 22 O.T.C. 282 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. M. Martin and L. McConnery, for the Crown; P. Connelly, for the accused, Heyden; T. Breen and J. Bliss, for the accu......
3 cases
  • R. v. Dunbar, Pollard, Leiding and Kravit,
    • Canada
    • Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
    • December 9, 2003
    ...4 S.C.R. 411; 191 N.R. 1; 68 B.C.A.C. 1; 112 W.A.C. 1; 33 C.R.(4th) 1; 103 C.C.C.(3d) 1, consd. [para. 48]. R. v. Shergill (S.) (1997), 22 O.T.C. 282 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 58]. R. v. S.S. - see R. v. Shergill (S.). R. v. Heyden, [1998] O.J. No. 6265 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 58]. ......
  • R. v. Heyden (J.C.) and Vanderheyden (W.A.), (1998) 94 O.T.C. 31 (GD)
    • Canada
    • Ontario Ontario Court of Justice General Division (Canada)
    • February 24, 1998
    ...130 D.L.R.(4th) 235; 103 C.C.C.(3d) 1, folld. [para. 6]. Von Bulow, Re (1987), 828 F.2d 94, refd to. [para. 9]. R. v. Shergill (S.) (1997), 22 O.T.C. 282 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 10]. Descôteaux et Centre Communautaire Juridique de Montréal v. Mierzwinski et al., [1982] 1 S.C.R. 860; 44......
  • R. v. Heyden (J.C.) and Vanderheyden (W.A.), [1998] O.T.C. 16 (GD)
    • Canada
    • Ontario Ontario Court of Justice General Division (Canada)
    • November 30, 1998
    ...1 to 4. Cases Noticed: R. v. Dunbar and Logan (1982), 68 C.C.C.(2d) 13 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 2]. R. v. Shergill (S.) (1997), 22 O.T.C. 282 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. M. Martin and L. McConnery, for the Crown; P. Connelly, for the accused, Heyden; T. Breen and J. Bliss, for the accu......

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