Riopel v. Sebastian, Yellowknife (City), Guardian Insurance Co. of Canada and Whissell Enterprises Ltd., (1984) 57 A.R. 364 (NWTSC)

• Judge: de Weerdt, J.
• Court: Supreme Court of Northwest Territories (Canada)
• Case Date: April 09, 1984
• Jurisdiction: Northwest Territories
• Citations: (1984), 57 A.R. 364 (NWTSC)

Riopel v. Sebastian (1984), 57 A.R. 364 (NWTSC)

MLB headnote and full text

Riopel v. Sebastian and Yellowknife (defendants) and Guardian Insurance Company of Canada and Whissell Enterprises Ltd. (third parties)

(SC 3445)

Indexed As: Riopel v. Sebastian, Yellowknife (City), Guardian Insurance Co. of Canada and Whissell Enterprises Ltd.

Northwest Territories Supreme Court

de Weerdt, J.

July 10, 1984.

Summary:

The plaintiff commenced a negligence action against the defendant in 1976, arising out of a motor vehicle accident occurring one year earlier. The last step in the proceedings was taken in 1978. More than six years later the plaintiff applied under the Rules of Court for leave to take the next step in the action.

The Northwest Territories Supreme Court dismissed the application.

Practice - Topic 5366

Dismissal of action - Grounds - Want of prosecution - Delay - Leave to take next step - The Northwest Territories Supreme Court generally discussed the Canadian and English law respecting granting leave to take the next step in an action and dismissing actions for want of prosecution where there has been delay in the proceedings - See paragraphs 12 to 42.

Practice - Topic 5366

Dismissal of action - Grounds - Want of prosecution - Delay - Leave to take next step - A plaintiff commenced a motor vehicle negligence action in 1976 - More than six years elapsed since the last step in the proceeding owing to the fault of the plaintiff's former solicitors - Witnesses to the accident either could not be located or could not remember what happened - The police records concerning the accident were lost - The limitation period for bringing the action had expired - The Northwest Territories Supreme Court refused the plaintiff leave to take the next step in the action, because the inordinate and inexcusable delay so seriously prejudiced the defendant that a trial would deny the defendant essential justice - See paragraphs 43 to 77.

Practice - Topic 5366

Dismissal of action - Grounds - Want of prosecution - Delay - Leave to take next step - A plaintiff applied for leave to take the next step in an action, more than six years after the last step was taken - The Northwest Territories Supreme Court, in refusing to grant leave, stated that it was irrelevant that the reason for the delay was the alleged negligence of the plaintiff's solicitor rather than the plaintiff himself - See paragraphs 26 to 31.

Cases Noticed:

Marshall v. Fire Insurance Co. of Canada (1970), 71 W.W.R.(N.S.) 647 (Alta. App. Div.), ref'd to. [para. 8].

Tiesmaki v. Wilson, [1972] 2 W.W.R. 214; 23 D.L.R.(3d) 179 (Alta. App. Div.), ref'd to. [paras. 8, 74, 76, 78].

Knol v. Thompson Estate (1980), 27 A.R. 158 (Alta. C.A.), dist. [paras. 8, 10, 19, 28, 32, 61].

Brosseau v. Daniels (1981), 31 A.R. 197 (Q.B.), ref'd to. [para. 9].

Riggins v. Harvard (1981), 31 A.R. 593 (Q.B.), ref'd to. [para. 9].

Fuhr's Ford Mercury Sales Ltd. v. Lennie's Glass & Mirror Ltd. (1982), 37 A.R. 447 (Q.B.), ref'd to. [para. 9].

Re Irwin; Alta. Public Trustee v. Smith (1982), 39 A.R. 500 (Q.B.), ref'd to. [para. 9].

Potter v. Rozgo (1982), 39 A.R. 589 (Q.B.), ref'd to. [para. 9].

Allen v. Sir Alfred McAlpine & Sons Ltd., [1968] 2 Q.B. 229; [1968] 1 All E.R. 543 (C.A.), appld. [paras. 14, 23, 27, 28, 30, 39, 54, 61].

Birkett v. James, [1978] A.C. 297; [1977] 2 All E.R. 801 (H.L.), appld. [paras. 14, 17, 26, 27, 34, 35].

Carey v. Twohig, [1973] 4 W.W.R. 378 (Sask. Q.B.), ref'd to. [para. 21].

Seamone & Acadian Lines Ltd. (1965), 54 D.L.R.(2d) 442, (N.S.S.C. en banc), ref'd to. [para. 28].

Ross v. Crown Fuel Co. Ltd. (1961), 41 W.W.R.(N.S.) 65; 37 D.L.R.(2d) 30 (Man. C.A.), ref'd to. [paras. 28, 30].

Heichert v. A.M. Kelly & Son Ltd. (1962), 37 D.L.R.(2d) 55 (Man. C.A.), ref'd to. [para. 28].

Prince of Wales v. Earl of Liverpool (1818), 1 Swans. 114, ref'd to. [para. 29].

Frank v. Alpert, [1971] S.C.R. 637; [1971] 1 W.W.R. 448 n; 17 D.L.R.(3d) 491; ref'd to. [para. 30].

Irving v. Irving, [1982] 6 W.W.R. 193; 140 D.L.R.(3d) 157; 28 C.P.C. 296 (B.C.C.A.), ref'd to. [para. 30].

Shura v. Silver (1963), 40 D.L.R.(2d) 383; 43 W.W.R.(N.S.) 272 (Man. C.A.), dist. [paras. 30, 40, 41].

Saikaley v. Commonwealth Insurance Co. (1978), 21 O.R.(2d) 629 (H. Ct.), ref'd to. [para. 31].

Gouzenko v. Sinnott News Co. (1972), 2 O.R.(2d) 296 (H. Ct.), ref'd to. [para. 31].

May v. Johnston, [1964] 1 O.R. 467 (H. Ct.), ref'd to. [para. 33].

Clairmonte v. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, [1970] 3 O.R. 97; 12 D. L.R.(3d) 425 (C.A.), ref'd to. [paras. 42, 56].

Farrar v. McMullen, [1971] O.R. 709, ref'd to. [para. 56].

Gibson v. Stevenson (1905), 7 Terr. L.R. 88; 1 W.L.R. 577, ref'd to. [para. 60].

Mayzel v. Sturm, [1957] O.W.N. 240 (H. Ct.), ref'd to. [para. 60].

Krakauer v. Katz, [1954] 1 W.L.R. 278; [1954] 1 All E.R. 244 (C.A.), ref'd to. [para. 60].

Gilbern v. Endean, 9 Ch. D. 259; 39 L.T. 404 (C.A.), ref'd to. [para. 60].

Atty-Gen. v. Great Eastern Ry. Co. (1879), 11 Ch. D. 449; 40 L.T. 265; 27 W.R. 759, ref'd to. [para. 60].

Bozson v. Altrincham U.D.C. (No. 1), [1903] 1 K.B. 547; 72 L.J.K.B. 271, ref'd to. [para. 60].

Fitzpatrick v. Batger, [1967] 2 All E.R. 657; [1967] 1 W.L.R. 706, appld. [para. 70].

Cook v. Szott (1968), 65 W.W.R.(N.S.) 362 (Alta. App. Div.), ref'd to. [para. 72].

Rondel v. Worsley, [1967] 3 W.L.R. 1666; 3 Sol. J. 927; [1967] 3 All E.R. 993, ref'd to. [para. 73].

Statutes Noticed:

Rules of Court (N.W.T.), Order 24, rule 259, rule 260 [para. 5].

Judicature Ordinance, R.O.N.W.T. 1974, c. J-1, sect. 10 [para. 15].

Vehicles Ordinance, R.O.N.W.T. 1974, c. V-2, sect. 178 [para. 65]; sect. 179(1) [para. 24].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Stephenson and Cote, Alberta Rules of Court, pp. 282-286 [para. 8].

Halsbury's Laws of England (4th Ed.), vol. 37, pp. 30 [para. 12]; 336-337 [para. 13].

Canadian Encyclopedic Digest (West 3rd), vol. 28, pp. 116-130 - 116-134 [para. 21].

Williston and Rolls, The Law of Civil Procedure, vol. 1, pp. 539-540 [para. 37].

Wright, Legal Essays and Addresses [para. 72].

Wright, The Common Law in its Old Home [para. 72].

Counsel:

D. Hagg, for the applicant;

J.M. Hope, for the defendant, City of Yellowknife;

R.G. McBean, for the third party by order, Guardian Insurance Company of Canada;

J.M. Hope, for the third party, Whissell Enterprises Ltd.;

No one appearing for the defendant, George Michael Sebastian.

This application was heard on April 9, 1984, at Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, before de Weerdt, J., of the Northwest Territories Supreme Court, who delivered the following judgment on July 10, 1984.