Board of Education of District No. 15 v. Human Rights Board of Inquiry (N.B.), (1989) 100 N.B.R.(2d) 181 (CA)

• Judge: Stratton, C.J.N.B., Hoyt and Ryan, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (New Brunswick)
• Case Date: September 08, 1989
• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Citations: (1989), 100 N.B.R.(2d) 181 (CA);1989 CanLII 208 (NB CA);100 NBR (2d) 181;62 DLR (4th) 512;10 CHRR 6426

School Bd. 15 v. Bd. of Inquiry (1989), 100 N.B.R.(2d) 181 (CA);

    100 R.N.-B.(2e) 181; 252 A.P.R. 181

MLB headnote and full text

[French language version follows English language version]

[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]

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The Minister of Labour (respondent/appellant) v. The Board of School Trustees, District No. 15 and The New Brunswick Teachers' Federation (applicants/respondents)

- and -

Human Rights Board of Inquiry, David Attis, Human Rights Commission, Department of Education, Malcolm Ross and Brian D. Bruce (respondents/respondents) v. Canadian Jewish Congress (intervenor) [First Action]

(31/89/CA)

- and -

David Attis (respondent/appellant) v. The New Brunswick Teachers' Federation (applicant/respondent) and Canadian Jewish Congress (intervenor) [Second Action]

(36/89/CA)

- and -

David Attis (respondent/appellant) v. The Board of School Trustees, District No. 15 (applicant/respondent) v. Canadian Jewish Congress (intervenor) [Third Action]

(37/89/CA)

Indexed As: Board of Education of District No. 15 v. Human Rights Board of Inquiry (N.B.)

New Brunswick Court of Appeal

Stratton, C.J.N.B., Hoyt and Ryan, JJ.A.

September 8, 1989.

Summary:

The Minister of Labour (N.B.) appointed a board of inquiry under the Human Rights Act (N.B.) to hear a complaint alleging discrimination.

The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, issued an order quashing the board of inquiry. See 93 N.B.R.(2d) 271; 238 A.P.R. 271. The Minister of Labour appealed.

The New Brunswick Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and set aside the order quashing the board of inquiry.

Administrative Law - Topic 1073

Classification of power or function - Powers classified as administrative - Order appointing a board of inquiry - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal stated that the Minister of Labour (N.B.) was acting in an administrative capacity when he appointed a board of inquiry under the Human Rights Act (N.B.) - See paragraph 45.

Administrative Law - Topic 3305

Judicial review - General - Bars - Acquiescence - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal stated that acquiescence means participation in proceedings without taking objection to the jurisdiction of the tribunal once the facts for raising the objection are fully known - See paragraph 19.

Administrative Law - Topic 9104

Boards and tribunals - Judicial review - Grounds - Attis filed a complaint with the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission alleging discrimination by a school board - On the recommendation of the Commission the Minister of Labour appointed a board of inquiry - The school board applied for judicial review respecting the appointment of the board of inquiry - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal held that judicial review was available in the circumstances notwithstanding that the board of inquiry had not commenced a hearing - See paragraphs 12 to 21.

Administrative Law - Topic 9105

Boards and tribunals - Judicial review - Question of law - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal stated that the sufficiency of a complaint under the Human Rights Act (N.B.) was a question of law that did "not concern the determination of facts upon which the jurisdiction of the [tribunal] ... depends" - See paragraph 17.

Civil Rights - Topic 964

Discrimination - Facilities and services customarily available to public - What constitutes a public service or facility - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal held that public education was a service available to the public for the purposes of s. 5 of the Human Rights Act (N.B.) - See paragraphs 22 to 32.

Civil Rights - Topic 7103

Federal or provincial legislation - Practice - Complaint, sufficiency of - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal referred to the elements of a complaint sufficient to satisfy s. 17 of the Human Rights Act (N.B.) - See paragraphs 40 to 43.

Civil Rights - Topic 7104

Federal or provincial legislation - Practice - Status to complain - Attis, as a parent of children enrolled in a public school, complained to the Human Rights Commission (N.B.) of inaction by the school board in dealing with complaints against a teacher who made anti-Jewish statements - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal held that Attis was a "person claiming to be aggrieved" and had the legal status to file a complaint under s. 17 of the Human Rights Act (N.B.) - See paragraphs 33 to 37.

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Tottenham and District Rent Tribunal, [1957] 1 Q.B. 103, refd to. [para. 12].

Bell v. Ontario Human Rights Commission, [1971] S.C.R. 756, refd to. [para. 13].

CIP Paper Products Ltd. and Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, Re (1978), 87 D.L.R.(3d) 609, refd to. [para. 14].

Alberta (Department of Education) v. Human Rights Commission (Alta.) (1986), 71 A.R. 253; 27 D.L.R.(4th) 735 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 15].

British Columbia Telephone v. Telecommunication Workers Union, [1988] 2 S.C.R. 564; 88 N.R. 260, refd to. [para. 16].

C.U.P.E. Local 963 v. N.B. Liquor Corporation, [1979] 2 S.C.R. 227; 26 N.R. 341; 25 N.B.R.(2d) 237; 51 A.P.R. 237, refd to. [para. 18].

Colonial Coach Lines Ltd. et al. and Ontario Highway Transport Board et al., Re (1967), 63 D.L.R.(2d) 198 (Ont. C.A.), dist. [para. 20].

Gay Alliance Toward Equality v. Vancouver Sun, [1979] 2 S.C.R. 435; 27 N.R. 117, refd to. [para. 25].

Insurance Corporation of British Columbia v. Heerspink, [1982] 2 S.C.R. 145; 43 N.R. 168, refd to. [para. 27].

Ontario Human Rights Commission and O'Malley v. Simpsons-Sears Ltd., [1985] 2 S.C.R. 536; 64 N.R. 161, refd to. [para. 27].

Canadian National Railway Co. v. Bhinder and Canadian Human Rights Commission, [1985] 2 S.C.R. 561; 63 N.R. 185, refd to. [para. 28].

Action Travail des Femmes v. Canadian National Railway Co. et al., [1987] 1 S.C.R. 1114; 76 N.R. 161, refd to. [para. 28].

Brennan v. Canada and Robichaud, [1987] 2 S.C.R. 84; 75 N.R. 303, refd to. [para. 28].

Winnipeg School Division No. 1 v. MacArthur (1982), 14 Man.R.(2d) 386; 133 D.L.R.(3d) 305 (Q.B.), not folld. [para. 29].

Schmidt v. Calgary Board of Education and Alberta Human Rights Commission (1975), 57 D.L.R.(3d) 746, revsd. (1976), 1 A.R. 286; 72 D.L.R.(3d) 330 (C.A.), folld. [para. 29].

Rawala and Souza v. DeVry Institute of Technology (1982), 3 C.H.R.R. D/1057, refd to. [para. 30].

Sonnenberg v. Centre Universitaire St-Louis-Maillet (1988), 9 C.H.R.R. D/5100, refd to. [para. 30].

Attorney General of Canada and Cumming et al., Re (1979), 103 D.L.R.(3d) 151, refd to. [para. 31].

Human Rights Commission (Sask.) et al. v. Saskatchewan (Minister of Social Services) (1989), 72 Sask.R. 115; 52 D.L.R.(4th) 253, refd to. [para. 32].

Société des Acadiens v. Minority Language School Board (1984), 54 N.B.R.(2d) 198; 140 A.P.R. 198 (C.A.), affd. (1986), 66 N.R. 173; 69 N.B.R.(2d) 271; 177 A.P.R. 271 (S.C.C.), dist. [para. 34].

Singh (Subhaschan), Re (1988), 86 N.R. 69 (Fed. C.A.), refd to. [para. 36].

Tabar and Lee v. Scott and West End Construction Limited (1982), 3 C.H.R.R. D/1073, refd to. [para. 38].

Mackin v. Judicial Council (N.B.) (1988), 82 N.B.R.(2d) 203; 208 A.P.R. 203, dist. [para. 40].

Canadian Human Rights Commission v. Bell Canada (1981), 2 C.H.R.R. D/265, refd to. [para. 42].

Hawley v. Richmond County Municipal School Board (1982), 52 N.S.R.(2d) 127; 106 A.P.R. 127 (N.S.C.A.), refd to. [para. 45].

Mehta v. MacKinnon, Jeganathan, Sterling and Human Rights Commission (N.S.) (1985), 67 N.S.R.(2d) 429; 155 A.P.R. 429 (N.S.C.A.), refd to. [para. 45].

Statutes Noticed:

Human Rights Act, R.S.N.B. 1973, c. H-11, sect. 5 [para. 22]; sect. 17 [para. 35]; sect. 20(3) [para. 43].

Interpretation Act, R.S.N.B. 1973, c. I-13, sect. 17 [para. 31].

Authors and Works Noticed:

de Smith, Judicial Review of Administrative Action (4th Ed. 1980), p. 423 [para. 19].

Reid and David, Administrative Law and Practice (2nd Ed. 1978), p. 340 [para. 12].

Tarnopolsky and Pentney, Discrimination and the Law (1985), p. 11 [para. 31].

Counsel:

Gabriel Bourgeois, for the Minister of Labour, in first action;

James C. Letcher, Q.C., for the Board of School Trustees, District No. 15, in first action;

E.J. Mockler, Q.C., and Patrick Hurley, for the New Brunswick Teachers' Federation, in first action;

No one appeared for Human Rights Board of Inquiry, Department of Education or Brian D. Bruce, in first action;

Joseph E. Weir, for David Attis, in first action;

Joanne E. McLeod and Thomas S. Kuttner, for Human Rights Commission, in first action;

Malcolm Ross appeared in person, in first action;

Neil Finkelstein, for Canadian Jewish Congress, in first action;

Joseph E. Weir, for David Attis, in second action;

E.J. Mockler, Q.C., and Patrick Hurley, for the New Brunswick Teachers' Federation, in second action;

Neil Finkelstein, for Canadian Jewish Congress, in second action;

Joseph E. Weir, for David Attis, in third action;

James C. Letcher, Q.C., for the Board of School Trustees, District No. 15, in third action;

Neil Finkelstein, for Canadian Jewish Congress, in third action.

This appeal was heard by Stratton, C.J.N.B., Hoyt and Ryan, JJ.A., of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal on May 23, 1989.

The decision of the Court of Appeal was delivered on September 8, 1989, and the following opinions were filed:

Stratton, C.J.N.B. - see paragraphs 1 to 47;

Ryan, J.A., dissenting in part - see paragraphs 48 to 51.

Hoyt, J.A., concurred with Stratton, C.J.N.B.