R. v. Swanson (L.J.), (2002) 173 B.C.A.C. 62 (CA)

JudgeNewbury, Hall and Saunders, JJ.A.
CourtCourt of Appeal (British Columbia)
Case DateJune 19, 2002
JurisdictionBritish Columbia
Citations(2002), 173 B.C.A.C. 62 (CA);2002 BCCA 528

R. v. Swanson (L.J.) (2002), 173 B.C.A.C. 62 (CA);

    283 W.A.C. 62

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2002] B.C.A.C. TBEd. SE.054

Regina (respondent) v. Lori Jane Swanson (appellant)

(CA028460; 2002 BCCA 528)

Indexed As: R. v. Swanson (L.J.)

British Columbia Court of Appeal

Newbury, Hall and Saunders, JJ.A.

September 20, 2002.

Summary:

The accused was charged with the second degree murder of her husband. A jury found her guilty as charged. The accused appealed from conviction.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, and ordered a new trial on the charge of second degree murder.

Criminal Law - Topic 4399.9

Procedure - Charge or directions - Jury or judge alone - Directions re flight and other post-offence behaviour of accused - The accused was charged with the second degree murder of her husband - The trial judge left the defences of self-defence and intoxication with the jury - The British Columbia Court of Appeal held that the jury charge about the accused's "after the fact" conduct (her conversation with the 911 emergency operator to whom she reported the death), was erroneous - The instruction failed to distinguish how the "after the fact" conduct bore differently on the defences of self-defence and intoxica­tion - The jury could have been left with the impression that simply because the accused lied to the operator about who killed her husband, her intoxication defence should fail - See paragraphs 14 to 23.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Haase (1964), 50 W.W.R.(N.S.) 321 (B.C.C.A.), affd. (1964), 50 W.W.R.(N.S.) 386 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. Wray, [1970] 4 C.C.C. 1 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. Oickle (R.F.), [2000] 2 S.C.R. 3; 259 N.R. 227; 187 N.S.R.(2d) 201; 585 A.P.R. 201; 147 C.C.C.(3d) 321, refd to. [para. 12].

R. v. K.S. (2000), 136 O.A.C. 238; 148 C.C.C.(3d) 247 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 12].

R. v. S.F.C. - see R. v. Courtereille (S.F.).

R. v. Courtereille (S.F.) (2001), 147 B.C.A.C. 125; 241 W.A.C. 125 (C.A.), dist. [para. 19].

R. v. Bevan and Griffith, [1993] 2 S.C.R. 599; 154 N.R. 245; 64 O.A.C. 165, refd to. [para. 23].

Counsel:

P. McMurray, for the appellant;

J. DeWitt-Van Oosten, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard before Newbury, Hall and Saunders, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal, at Victoria, British Columbia, on June 19, 2002. The decision of the court was delivered by Hall, J.A., at Vancouver, British Columbia, on September 20, 2002.

To continue reading

Request your trial
4 practice notes
  • Table of cases
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books The Law of Evidence. Eighth Edition
    • June 25, 2020
    ...112, 675 R v Swanek (2005), 28 CR (6th) 93 (Ont CA) .................................................... 433 R v Swanson, 2002 BCCA 528 .............................................................................. 33 R v Swanston (1982), 25 CR (3d) 385 (BC CA) ...................................
  • The Basics of Admissibility and the Evaluation of Evidence
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books The Law of Evidence. Eighth Edition
    • June 25, 2020
    ...in information about matters other than those that need 4 Calnen , above note 2 at para 113, Martin J. 5 See, e.g., R v Swanson , 2002 BCCA 528. 6 See, e.g., R v Arp , [1998] 3 SCR 339 at para 38 [ Arp ]. 7 R v Truscott (2006), 213 CCC (3d) 183 (Ont CA) at para 22 [ Truscott ]. 8 See R v Co......
  • R. v. Angelis (D.), 2013 ONCA 70
    • Canada
    • Ontario Court of Appeal (Ontario)
    • December 11, 2012
    ...53]. R. v. White (R.G.) and Côté (Y.), [1998] 2 S.C.R. 72; 227 N.R. 326; 112 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 53]. R. v. Swanson (L.J.) (2002), 173 B.C.A.C. 62; 283 W.A.C. 62; 168 C.C.C.(3d) 1; 2002 BCCA 528, refd to. [para. R. v. Rodrigue (K.) (2007), 245 B.C.A.C. 19; 405 W.A.C. 19; 223 C.C.C.(3d......
  • R. v. Kayaitok (B.), [2013] Nunavut Cases Uned. 16
    • Canada
    • Nunavut Court of Justice (Canada)
    • August 23, 2013
    ...in (1994), 95 C.C.C. (3d) 74 (Ont. C.A.); R. v. Peavoy, at para. 34; R. v. White (1998), [1998] 2 S.C.R. 72, at p. 89; R. v. Swanson, 2002 BCCA 528, 168 C.C.C. (3d) 1, at para. 18; R. v. Rodrigue, 2007 YKCA 9, 223 C.C.C. (3d) 53, at paras. 47-49; R. v. Figueroa, 2008 ONCA 106, 232 C.C.C. (3......
2 cases
  • R. v. Angelis (D.), 2013 ONCA 70
    • Canada
    • Ontario Court of Appeal (Ontario)
    • December 11, 2012
    ...53]. R. v. White (R.G.) and Côté (Y.), [1998] 2 S.C.R. 72; 227 N.R. 326; 112 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 53]. R. v. Swanson (L.J.) (2002), 173 B.C.A.C. 62; 283 W.A.C. 62; 168 C.C.C.(3d) 1; 2002 BCCA 528, refd to. [para. R. v. Rodrigue (K.) (2007), 245 B.C.A.C. 19; 405 W.A.C. 19; 223 C.C.C.(3d......
  • R. v. Kayaitok (B.), [2013] Nunavut Cases Uned. 16
    • Canada
    • Nunavut Court of Justice (Canada)
    • August 23, 2013
    ...in (1994), 95 C.C.C. (3d) 74 (Ont. C.A.); R. v. Peavoy, at para. 34; R. v. White (1998), [1998] 2 S.C.R. 72, at p. 89; R. v. Swanson, 2002 BCCA 528, 168 C.C.C. (3d) 1, at para. 18; R. v. Rodrigue, 2007 YKCA 9, 223 C.C.C. (3d) 53, at paras. 47-49; R. v. Figueroa, 2008 ONCA 106, 232 C.C.C. (3......
2 books & journal articles
  • Table of cases
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books The Law of Evidence. Eighth Edition
    • June 25, 2020
    ...112, 675 R v Swanek (2005), 28 CR (6th) 93 (Ont CA) .................................................... 433 R v Swanson, 2002 BCCA 528 .............................................................................. 33 R v Swanston (1982), 25 CR (3d) 385 (BC CA) ...................................
  • The Basics of Admissibility and the Evaluation of Evidence
    • Canada
    • Irwin Books The Law of Evidence. Eighth Edition
    • June 25, 2020
    ...in information about matters other than those that need 4 Calnen , above note 2 at para 113, Martin J. 5 See, e.g., R v Swanson , 2002 BCCA 528. 6 See, e.g., R v Arp , [1998] 3 SCR 339 at para 38 [ Arp ]. 7 R v Truscott (2006), 213 CCC (3d) 183 (Ont CA) at para 22 [ Truscott ]. 8 See R v Co......

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT