R. v. Tan (K.B.), (2014) 349 B.C.A.C. 91 (CA)

• Jurisdiction: British Columbia
• Court: Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
• Judge: Hall, Bennett and MacKenzie, JJ.A.
• Citation: (2014), 349 B.C.A.C. 91 (CA),2014 BCCA 9
• Date: 10 January 2014

R. v. Tan (K.B.) (2014), 349 B.C.A.C. 91 (CA);

    596 W.A.C. 91

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2014] B.C.A.C. TBEd. JA.047

Regina (respondent) v. Kien Beng Tan (appellant)

(CA039392; 2014 BCCA 9)

Indexed As: R. v. Tan (K.B.)

British Columbia Court of Appeal

Hall, Bennett and MacKenzie, JJ.A.

January 10, 2014.

Summary:

The accused appealed his conviction for second degree murder following a trial by judge alone. At issue was whether the R.C.M.P. violated s. 8 of the Charter in the process of collecting evidence (fingerprints) in Malaysia with the assistance of Malaysian police, whether statements to an undercover police officer posing as a cell mate were admissible, and whether a confession made during a police interrogation was voluntary.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal. There was insufficient evidence to establish that Malaysia consented to the application of the Charter in its territory based on the R. v. Hape (S.C.C.) principle of sovereign non-interference. The Charter did not apply to the evidence gathered by the R.C.M.P. in Malaysia. A voir dire on the admissibility of the fingerprint evidence was unnecessary. Both the statements to the undercover police officer (freely given) and the confession (voluntarily made) were admissible.

Civil Rights - Topic 8306

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - General - Application of - Territorial limits - See paragraphs 29 to 81.

Criminal Law - Topic 5264

Evidence and witnesses - Admissions - Admissibility and authenticity - See paragraphs 82 to 90.

Criminal Law - Topic 5332

Evidence and witnesses - Confessions and voluntary statements - Voir dire - Necessity and purpose of - See paragraphs 29 to 81.

Criminal Law - Topic 5353.1

Evidence and witnesses - Confessions and voluntary statements - Statements to persons not in authority - See paragraphs 82 to 90.

Criminal Law - Topic 5355

Evidence and witnesses - Confessions and voluntary statements - Whether statement was made freely and voluntarily - See paragraphs 91 to 114.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Cook (D.R.), [1998] 2 S.C.R. 597; 230 N.R. 83; 112 B.C.A.C. 1; 182 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 9].

R. v. Vukelich (M.) (1996), 78 B.C.A.C. 113; 128 W.A.C. 113; 108 C.C.C.(3d) 193 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 30].

R. v. Harrer (H.M.), [1995] 3 S.C.R. 562; 186 N.R. 329; 64 B.C.A.C. 161; 105 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 34].

R. v. Terry (R.S.), [1996] 2 S.C.R. 207; 197 N.R. 105; 76 B.C.A.C. 25; 125 W.A.C. 25, refd to. [para. 34].

Schreiber v. Canada (Attorney General), [1998] 1 S.C.R. 841; 225 N.R. 297, refd to. [para. 34].

R. v. Hape (L.R.), [2007] 2 S.C.R. 292; 363 N.R. 1; 227 O.A.C. 191; 2007 SCC 26, refd to. [para. 36].

Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act, Re (2007), 356 F.T.R. 56; 2008 FC 301, refd to. [para. 45].

Amnesty International Canada et al. v. Canadian Armed Forces (Chief, Defence Staff) et al. (2008), 320 F.T.R. 257; 2008 FC 336, affd. (2008), 383 N.R. 268; 2008 FCA 401, leave to appeal refused (2009), 398 N.R. 388 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 46].

Khadr v. Canada (Minister of Justice) et al., [2008] 2 S.C.R. 125; 375 N.R. 47; 2008 SCC 28, refd to. [para. 49].

Khadr v. Prime Minister (Can.) et al., [2010] S.C.R. 44; 397 N.R. 294; 2010 SCC 3, refd to. [para. 49].

S.S. "Lotus", Re (1927), P.C.I.J. Ser. A. No. 10, refd to. [para. 59].

R. v. Dorsay (W.M.) (2006), 223 B.C.A.C. 192; 369 W.A.C. 192; 2006 BCCA 117, refd to. [para. 67].

R. v. Sanghera (B.) et al., [2012] B.C.T.C. Uned. 995; 2012 BCSC 995, refd to. [para. 83].

R. v. Evans (C.D.), [1993] 3 S.C.R. 653; 158 N.R. 278; 145 A.R. 81; 55 W.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 85].

R. v. Mohan, [1994] 2 S.C.R. 9; 166 N.R. 245; 71 O.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 88].

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; 2000 SCC 38, refd to. [para. 100].

R. v. Spencer (B.S.), [2007] 1 S.C.R. 500; 358 N.R. 278; 237 B.C.A.C. 1; 392 W.A.C. 1; 2007 SCC 11, refd to. [para. 100].

R. v. Benham (B.) (2013), 340 B.C.A.C. 26; 579 W.A.C. 26; 2007 BCCA 276, refd to. [para. 101].

R. v. Richards (D.B.) (1997), 87 B.C.A.C. 21; 143 W.A.C. 21; 6 C.R.(5th) 154 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 104].

R. v. Lessard (1982), 10 C.C.C.(3d) 61 (Que. C.A.), refd to. [para. 104].

R. v. Kennealy (1972), 6 C.C.C.(2d) 390 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 104].

R. v. Lapointe and Sicotte (1983), 1 O.A.C. 1; 9 C.C.C.(3d) 366 (C.A.), affd. [1987] 1 S.C.R. 1253; 76 N.R. 228; 21 O.A.C. 176, refd to. [para. 104].

R. v. Howard and Trudel (1983), 3 C.C.C.(3d) 399 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 104].

R. v. Ferris (J.M.) (1994), 149 A.R. 1; 63 W.A.C. 1; 27 C.R.(4th) 141 (C.A.), affd. [1994] 3 S.C.R. 756; 174 N.R. 158; 162 A.R. 108; 83 W.A.C. 108, refd to. [para. 104].

R. v. Crockett (D.) (2002), 179 B.C.A.C. 269; 295 W.A.C. 269; 2002 BCCA 658, refd to. [para. 105].

R. v. Hammerstrom (J.E.), [2006] B.C.T.C. Uned. E02; 2006 BCSC 1700, refd to. [para. 108].

R. v. Rothman, [1981] 1 S.C.R. 640; 35 N.R. 485, refd to. [para. 109].

R. v. Ciliberto (G.J.), [2005] B.C.T.C. 1859; 2005 BCSC 1859, refd to. [para. 110].

Statutes Noticed:

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982, sect. 32(1) [para. 33].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Currie, John H., Public International Law (2nd Ed. 2008), pp. 137 [para. 63]; 535, 536 [para. 60].

Currie, Robert J., International & Transnational Criminal Law (2010), p. 531 [para. 36].

Hogg, Peter W., Constitutional Law of Canada (5th Ed.) (2007 looseleaf), pp. 37, 38 [para. 36].

Counsel:

H. Patey, for the appellant, Kien Beng Tan;

M.J. Brundrett, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard on June 19, 2013, at Vancouver, B.C., before Hall, Bennett and MacKenzie, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal.

On January 10, 2014, Bennett, J.A., delivered the following judgment for the Court of Appeal.