R. v. Video Movies Ltd., (1985) 62 N.B.R.(2d) 400 (PC)

• Judge: Harper, P.C.J.
• Court: Provincial Court of New Brunswick (Canada)
• Case Date: March 06, 1985
• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Citations: (1985), 62 N.B.R.(2d) 400 (PC)

R. v. Video Movies Ltd. (1985), 62 N.B.R.(2d) 400 (PC);

    62 R.N.-B.(2e) 400; 161 A.P.R. 400

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R. v. Video Movies Ltd.

Indexed As: R. v. Video Movies Ltd.

Répertorié: R. v. Video Movies Ltd.

New Brunswick Provincial Court

Harper, P.C.J.

March 6, 1985.

Summary:

Résumé:

The accused company was charged with circulating obscene publications, i.e. two video cassette tapes, contrary to s. 159(1)(a) of the Criminal Code of Canada. The company pleaded not guilty and the matter was set down for trial. Subsequently the company applied for leave to object to the information, pursuant to s. 732(1) of the Code.

The New Brunswick Provincial Court granted leave and the company thereafter applied to quash the information on the ground that it was duplicitous, contrary to s. 724(1)(a) of the Code and therefore abinitio.

The New Brunswick Provincial Court dismissed the application.

Criminal Law - Topic 7280

Summary conviction proceedings - Informations - Duplicity - General - The accused company was charged with circulating obscene publications i.e. video movie cassettes - In the information the titles of two allegedly obscene publications were recited - The New Brunswick Provincial Court held that the recitation of the two titles was not duplicitous, but merely descriptive of the obscene material allegedly circulated by the company - The inclusion was merely descriptive of the matter in which the company allegedly offended s. 159(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada - See paragraphs 3 to 12.

Criminal Law - Topic 7283

Summary conviction proceedings - Informations - Defects - Curing of - The accused company was charged with circulating obscene publications i.e. video movie cassettes - In the information the titles of two allegedly obscene publications were recited - The New Brunswick Provincial Court held that the information was not duplicitous, but even if it was, such defect was a matter of form only and not of substance and was amendable at the instance of the Crown - See paragraphs 13 to 21.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. City of Sault Ste. Marie, [1978] 2 S.C.R. 1299; 21 N.R. 295; 40 C.C.C.(2d) 353, appld. [para. 6].

Fraser et al. v. R., [1967] 2 C.C.C. 43 (S.C.C.), appld. [para. 8].

Fraser et al. v. R., [1966] 1 C.C.C. 110 (B.C.C.A.), appld. [para. 9].

R. v. Ball et al., [1966] 4 C.C.C. 178 (Ont. C.A.), appld. [para. 10].

Hoffman-LaRoche Ltd. v. R. (1981), 24 C.R.(3d) 193 (Ont. C.A.), ref'd to. [para. 14].

R. v. Cotroni; R. v. Papalia, [1979] 2 S.C.R. 256; 26 N.R. 133; 45 C.C.C.(2d) 1, ref'd to. [para. 18].

R. v. Wis Developments Corporations Ltd. et al., [1984] 1 S.C.R. 485; 53 N.R. 134; 40 C.R.(3d) 97, ref'd to. [para. 18].

R. v. Neville (1980), 31 N.B.R.(2d) 171; 75 A.P.R. 171, ref'd to. [para. 19].

Edwards v. Jones, [1947] 1 K.B. 659, ref'd to. [para. 20].

Statutes Noticed:

Criminal Code of Canada, R.S.C. 1970, c. C-34, sect. 724(1)(a) [para. 3]; sect. 731 [para. 16].

Counsel:

[None disclosed.]

This application was heard before Harper, P.C.J., of the New Brunswick Provincial Court, whose decision was delivered on March 6, 1985.