Schreiber v. Canada (Attorney General), (1998) 225 N.R. 297 (SCC)

• Judge: Lamer, C.J.C., L'Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier, McLachlin, Iacobucci, Bastarache and Binnie, JJ.
• Court: Supreme Court (Canada)
• Case Date: March 20, 1998
• Jurisdiction: Canada (Federal)
• Citations: (1998), 225 N.R. 297 (SCC);225 NR 297;124 CCC (3d) 129;[1998] SCJ No 42 (QL);16 CR (5th) 1;51 CRR (2d) 253;158 DLR (4th) 577;[1998] 1 SCR 841;1998 CanLII 828 (SCC)

Schreiber v. Can. (A.G.) (1998), 225 N.R. 297 (SCC)

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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Temp. Cite: [1998] N.R. TBEd. MY.015

Attorney General of Canada (appellant) v. Karl Heinz Schreiber (respondent) and Attorney General of Quebec (intervenor)

(26039)

Indexed As: Schreiber v. Canada (Attorney General)

Supreme Court of Canada

Lamer, C.J.C., L'Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier, McLachlin, Iacobucci, Bastarache and Binnie, JJ.

May 28, 1998.

Summary:

The plaintiff was a Canadian citizen who resided in both Canada and Europe. The plaintiff had an interest in accounts at the Swiss Banking Corp. in Switzerland. The Minister of Justice (Can.) sent a letter of request seeking the assistance of the Swiss government respecting a Canadian criminal investigation. In response the Swiss authori­ties seized documents and records relating to the plaintiff's bank accounts. The plaintiff commenced an action against the Attorney General of Canada, arguing that he was entitled to the protection of s. 8 of the Char­ter with respect to his off-shore bank accounts. The following question of law in the form of a special case was presented for adjudication:

Was the Canadian standard for the issuance of a search warrant required to be satisfied before the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Canada submitted the letter of request asking Swiss authorities to search for and seize the plaintiff's banking documents and records?

The Federal Court of Canada, Trial Di­vision, in a decision reported 116 F.T.R 151, answered the question affirmatively. The Attorney General of Canada appealed the decision and applied under Federal Court Rule 341A to suspend the effect of the judgment pending determination of the appeal.

The Federal Court of Canada, Trial Di­vision, in a decision reported 118 F.T.R. 231, granted the requested suspension on conditions. The Attorney General pursued the appeal.

The Federal Court of Appeal, Stone, J.A., dissenting, in a decision reported 210 N.R. 9, dismissed the appeal and suspended the judgment pending any further appeal. The Attorney General subsequently appealed.

The Supreme Court of Canada, Iacobucci and Gonthier, JJ., dissenting, allowed the appeal and answered the question set out in the special case in the negative.

Civil Rights - Topic 1508

Property - Expectation of privacy - [See Civil Rights - Topic 1524.1 ].

Civil Rights - Topic 1524.1

Property - Personal property - Request to foreign state to seize property for criminal investigation - The plaintiff, a Canadian citizen who resided in both Canada and Europe, had an interest in Swiss bank accounts - The Minister of Justice (Can.) sent a letter of request seeking the as­sistance of the Swiss government respect­ing a Canadian criminal investigation - In response, the Swiss authorities seized documents and records relating to the plaintiff's bank accounts - The plaintiff argued that he was entitled to the protec­tion of s. 8 of the Charter and that such a request could not be issued to a foreign authority unless the Canadian standard for the issuance of a search warrant was met - The Supreme Court of Canada held that sending the letter of request did not attract s. 8 protection and no prior authorization was necessary - However, in a Canadian criminal trial, s. 7 of the Charter might apply to justify excluding evidence obtained abroad through foreign officials where necessary to preserve the fairness of the trial.

Civil Rights - Topic 8306

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Application of - Territorial limits - [See Civil Rights - Topic 1524.1 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5599.3

Evidence and witnesses - Foreign evidence assistance agreements and legislation - Evidence gathering orders - Conditions precedent - [See Civil Rights - Topic 1524.1 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5599.4

Evidence and witnesses - Foreign evidence assistance agreements and legislation - Evidence gathering orders - Rights of persons affected - [See Civil Rights - Topic 1524.1 ].

Cases Noticed:

Southam Inc. v. Hunter, [1984] 2 S.C.R. 145; 55 N.R. 241; 55 A.R. 291, refd to. [paras. 3, 16, 41].

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. [paras. 6, 14].

R. v. Filonov and Swartz (1993), 82 C.C.C.(3d) 516 (Ont. Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 8].

Schmidt v. Canada et al., [1987] 1 S.C.R. 500; 76 N.R. 12; 20 O.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 9].

Argentina (Republic) v. Mellino, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 536; 76 N.R. 51; 80 A.R. 1, refd to. [para. 9].

Kindler v. Canada (Minister of Justice), [1991] 2 S.C.R. 779; 129 N.R. 81, refd to. [para. 9].

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. 14].

Katz v. United States (1967), 389 U.S. 347 (U.S. Sup. Ct.), refd to. [paras. 29, 42].

R. v. Edwards (C.), [1996] 1 S.C.R. 128; 192 N.R. 81; 88 O.A.C. 321, refd to. [paras. 29, 50].

R. v. Belnavis (A.) and Lawrence (C.), [1997] 3 S.C.R. 341; 216 N.R. 161; 103 O.A.C. 81, refd to. [paras. 29, 50].

R. v. Stillman (W.W.D.), [1997] 1 S.C.R. 607; 209 N.R. 81; 185 N.B.R.(2d) 1; 472 A.P.R. 1, refd to. [para. 30].

R. v. Dyment, [1988] 2 S.C.R. 417; 89 N.R. 249; 73 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 13; 229 A.P.R. 13, refd to. [paras. 30, 42].

R. v. Feeney (M.), [1997] 2 S.C.R. 13; 212 N.R. 83; 91 B.C.A.C. 1; 148 W.A.C. 1, application for rehearing granted [1997] 2 S.C.R. 117, refd to. [para. 30].

Thomson Newspapers Ltd. v. Director of Investigation and Research, Combines Investigation Act et al., [1990] 1 S.C.R. 425; 106 N.R. 161; 39 O.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 31].

Comité paritaire de l'industrie de la chemise v. Potash et Sélection Milton, [1994] 2 S.C.R. 406; 168 N.R. 241; 61 Q.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 31].

R. v. McKinlay Transport Ltd. and C.T. Transport Inc., [1990] 1 S.C.R. 627; 106 N.R. 385; 39 O.A.C. 385, refd to. [para. 31].

R. v. Plant (R.S.), [1993] 3 S.C.R. 281; 157 N.R. 321; 145 A.R. 104; 55 W.A.C. 104, refd to. [paras. 32, 42].

R. v. Collins, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 265; 74 N.R. 276, refd to. [paras. 35, 47].

R. v. Colarusso, [1994] 1 S.C.R. 20; 162 N.R. 321; 69 O.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 42].

R. v. O'Connor (H.P.), [1995] 4 S.C.R. 411; 191 N.R. 1; 68 B.C.A.C. 1; 112 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 43].

R. v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd., [1985] 1 S.C.R. 295; 58 N.R. 81; 60 A.R. 161, refd to. [para. 58].

Statutes Noticed:

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982, sect. 7 [paras. 10, 35]; sect. 8 [para. 1]; sect. 24(1) [para. 35]; sect. 32 [paras. 2, 19, 26].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Canada, Privacy and Computers (Task Force Report), 1972, pp. 12, 13, 14 [para. 51].

Hutchison, Scott C., Morton, James, C., and Bury, Michael P., Search and Seizure Law in Canada (1993 - looseleaf updated 1994, release 2), p. 1-12 [para. 49].

Counsel:

S. David Frankel, Q.C., for the appellant;

Robert W. Hladun, Q.C., for the respon­dent;

Claude Girard and Gilles Laporte, for the intervenor.

Solicitors of Record:

George M. Thomson, Ottawa, Ontario, for the appellant;

Hladun & Company, Edmonton, Alberta, for the respondent;

Claude Girard, Montreal, Quebec, for the intervenor.

This appeal was heard on March 20, 1998, before Lamer, C.J.C., L'Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier, McLachlin, Iacobucci, Bastarache and Binnie, JJ., of the Supreme Court of Canada. The decision of the court was released in both official languages on May 28, 1998, including the following opinions:

L'Heureux-Dubé, J. (McLachlin, Bastarache and Binnie, JJ., concurring) - see paragraphs 1 to 11;

Lamer, C.J.C., concurring reasons - see para­graphs 12 to 36;

Iacobucci, J., dissenting (Gonthier, J., concurring) - see paragraphs 37 to 61.