St-Jacques v. Fédération des employées et employés de services public Inc. (C.S.N.) et al., (1996) 198 N.R. 1 (SCC)

• Judge: Gonthier, McLachlin, Iacobucci and Major, JJ.
• Court: Supreme Court of Canada
• Case Date: Thursday June 20, 1996
• Jurisdiction: Canada (Federal)
• Citations: (1996), 198 N.R. 1 (SCC);DTE 96T-773;198 NR 1;[1996] 2 SCR 291;[1996] RRA 537;63 ACWS (3d) 1211;[1996] ACS no 8;107 CCC (3d) 289;136 DLR (4th) 525;1996 CanLII 208 (SCC);[1996] CarswellSask 448;AZ-96111079;48 CR (4th) 368;[1996] 2 SCR 345;JE 96-1376;[1996] SCJ No 8 (QL);36 CRR (2d) 189;[1996] SCJ No 70 (QL);136 DLR (4th) 129;1996 CanLII 207 (SCC)

St-Jacques v. Fédération des employées (1996), 198 N.R. 1 (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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Louisette Béliveau St-Jacques (appellant) v. Fédération des employées et employés de services public Inc. (C.S.N.) and Confédération des syndicats nationaux (respondents) and Pierre Gendron (mis-en-cause) and Syndicat des travailleuses et travailleurs de la Confédération des syndicats nationaux (C.S.N.) and Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (intervenor)

(22339)

Indexed As: St-Jacques v. Fédération des employées et employés de services public Inc. (C.S.N.) et al.

Supreme Court of Canada

La Forest, L'Heureux-Dubé, Sopinka,

Gonthier, McLachlin, Iacobucci

and Major, JJ.

June 20, 1996.

Summary:

St-Jacques brought a civil liability action under the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms against her supervisor, his employer and her employer, alleging harass­ment in the workplace and sexual harass­ment. She claimed $175,000 compensation for moral damage, loss of health and psy­chological prejudice, inability to return to work and exemplary damages. St-Jacques obtained compensation from the Commis­sion de la santé et de la sécurité du travail for an "employment injury" under s. 2 of the In­dustrial Accidents and Occupational Dis­eases Act. The employers applied to dismiss the civil action on the ground that s. 438 of the Act and art. 1056a of the Civil Code of Lower Canada barred the civil action where St-Jacques received compensation as a victim of an industrial accident under the Act. The employers also claimed that the Superior Court lacked jurisdiction, because jurisdiction was reserved to an arbitration tribunal under the collective agreement.

The Quebec Superior Court dismissed the application. The employers appealed.

The Quebec Court of Appeal, McCarthy, J.A., dissenting, dismissed the appeal. Mail­hot, J.A., stated that only civil actions against an employer based on an employ­ment injury were barred. Claims based on moral prejudice and exemplary damages were not precluded. Chevalier, J.A.(ad hoc), stated that only the exemplary damages claim was not barred. The employers applied for and obtained leave to appeal, but discon­tinued their appeal. St-Jacques applied to continue the appeal. The appli­cation was allowed and St-Jacques was treated as an appellant. The employers cross-appealed, claiming that if the Charter action was not barred, the issue had to be determined by an arbitrator, not the courts.

The Supreme Court of Canada, L'Heureux-Dubé and La Forest, JJ., dissent­ing in part, dismissed the appeal and cross-appeal. The court set aside the judgments of the Superior Court and Court of Appeal and granted the employers' application to dismiss the civil action in its entirety.

Quebec Responsibility - Topic 2123

Damages - Wrongs giving rise to com­pensation - Violation of Charter rights (Que.) - [See Workers' Compensation - Topic 106].

Quebec Responsibility - Topic 3415

Damages - Punitive or exemplary dam­ages - Entitlement - Illicit and intentional violation of Charter rights (Que.) - [See Workers' Compensation - Topic 106].

Workers' Compensation - Topic 106

Effect of statute on other causes of action - Action by employee against employer covered by Act - An employee alleged harassment in the workplace and sexual harassment - She sued her supervisor and employers for compensation for moral and material prejudice and exemplary damages (Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, s. 49) - The employee also received compensation for an "employ­ment injury" under the Industrial Acci­dents and Occupational Diseases Act - Section 438 of the Act provided that "no worker who has suffered an employment injury may institute a civil liability action against his employer by reason of his employment injury" - Section 52 of the Charter pro­vided that the Charter did not extend, limit or amend any other law except as provided for in s. 53, which did not apply in this case - Article 1056a of the Civil Code of Lower Canada precluded recourse under the Code for employment injuries, except as permitted by the Act - The Supreme Court of Canada held that s. 438 precluded the civil action for com­pensation under the Charter - The court stated that "the reme­dy provided for in s. 49 of the Charter, insofar as it authorizes a claim of compen­satory and exemplary damages, is a civil liability remedy" - The Charter did not create a parallel compen­sation system - See paragraphs 1 to 44.

Cases Noticed:

Mongeau v. Fournier (1924), 37 Que. K.B. 52, refd to. [para. 19].

Vincent & Co. v. Gallo, [1944] Que. K.B. 202, refd to. [para. 21].

Bell Canada v. Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (Qué.) and Bilodeau et al., [1988] 1 S.C.R. 749; 85 N.R. 295; 15 Q.A.C. 217, refd to. [para. 23].

Human Rights Commission (Ont.) and O'Malley v. Simpson-Sears, [1985] 2 S.C.R. 536; 64 N.R. 161; 12 O.A.C. 241; 23 D.L.R.(4th) 321, refd to. [para. 25].

Chaput v. Romain, [1955] S.C.R. 834; 1 D.L.R.(2d) 241, refd to. [para. 27].

Rocois Construction Inc. v. Dominion Ready Mix Inc. et al., [1990] 2 S.C.R. 440; 112 N.R. 241; 31 Q.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 28].

Association des professeurs de Lignery v. Alvetta-Comeau, [1990] R.J.Q. 130 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 29].

Brennan v. Canada and Robichaud, [1987] 2 S.C.R. 84; 75 N.R. 303, refd to. [para. 32].

Bhadauria v. Seneca College, [1981] 2 S.C.R. 181; 37 N.R. 455, refd to. [para. 33].

Sutherland v. Papadatos, [1987] R.J.Q. 1020; 7 Q.A.C. 165 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 35].

Lemieux v. Polyclinique St-Cyrille Inc., [1989] R.J.Q. 44 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 35].

Reference Re Sections 32 and 34 of the Workers' Compensation Act (Nfld.), [1989] 1 S.C.R. 922; 96 N.R. 227; 76 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 181; 235 A.P.R. 181; 56 D.L.R.(4th) 765; 40 C.R.R. 135, refd to. [para. 42].

P. v. X. (Ville), [1990] C.A.L.P. 677 (Que.), refd to. [para. 55].

Gagnon v. Commission administrative des régimes de retraite et d'assurances, [1989] C.A.L.P. 769 (Que.), refd to. [para. 55].

Blagoeva v. Commission de contrôle de l'énergie atomique, [1992] C.A.L.P. 898 (Que.), refd to. [para. 55].

Langevin v. Québec (Ministère du Loisir, de la Chasse et de la Peche), [1993] C.A.L.P. 453 (Que.), refd to. [para. 55].

Lambert v. Dominion Textile Inc., [1993] C.A.L.P. 1056 (Que.), refd to. [para. 55].

Lamb v. Benoit, [1959] S.C.R. 321, refd to. [para. 63].

Roy v. Patenaude, [1994] R.J.Q. 2503 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 66].

Nantel et autres v. West Island Teachers' Association, [1988] R.J.Q. 1569; 16 Q.A.C. 32 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 67].

Tucker v. Royal Trust Co., [1982] 1 S.C.R. 250; 40 N.R. 361, refd to. [para. 68].

Insurance Corp. of British Columbia v. Heerspink and Director, Human Rights Code, [1982] 2 S.C.R. 145; 43 N.R. 168, refd to. [para. 89].

Singh v. Minister of Employment and Immigration, [1985] 1 S.C.R. 177; 58 N.R. 1; 17 D.L.R.(4th) 422; 14 C.R.R. 13; 12 Admin. L.R. 137, refd to. [para. 89].

Scowby v. Glendinning et al., [1986] 2 S.C.R. 226; 70 N.R. 241; 51 Sask.R. 208; 32 D.L.R.(4th) 161, refd to. [para. 89].

Action Travail des Femmes v. Canadian National Railway Co. et al., [1987] 1 S.C.R. 1114; 76 N.R. 161, refd to. [para. 89].

University of British Columbia v. Berg, [1993] 2 S.C.R. 353; 152 N.R. 99; 26 B.C.A.C. 241; 44 W.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 89].

Gould v. Yukon Order of Pioneers, Dawson Lodge No. 1 et al., [1996] 1 S.C.R. 571; 194 N.R. 81; 72 B.C.A.C. 1; 119 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 89].

Corporation professionnelle des médecins du Québec v. Thibault, [1992] R.J.Q. 2029; 49 Q.A.C. 135 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 90].

Archambault v. Doucet, [1993] R.J.Q. 2389 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 90].

Syndicat national des employés de l'Insti­tut Doréa v. Quebec (Conseil des ser­vices essentiels), [1987] R.J.Q. 925 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 91].

British Columbia Government Employees' Union v. British Columbia (Attorney General), [1988] 2 S.C.R. 214; 87 N.R. 241, refd to. [para. 96].

Halkett v. Ascofigex Inc., [1986] R.J.Q. 2697 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 111].

Dorion v. Roberge et autres, [1991] 1 S.C.R. 374; 124 N.R. 1; 39 Q.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 112].

Joannette v. Pièces d'auto Richard Ltée, [1993] C.T. 398, refd to. [para. 118].

Girard v. Produits de viande Cacher Glatt Ltée, [1986] T.A. 304, refd to. [para. 119].

Brunet v. General Motors of Canada Ltd., [1977] 2 S.C.R. 537; 13 N.R. 233, refd to. [para. 125].

Shell Canada Ltd. v. Travailleurs Unis du Petrole du Canada, Local 1 et al., [1980] 2 S.C.R. 181; 33 N.R. 328, refd to. [para. 125].

St. Anne Nackawic Pulp & Paper Co. v. Canadian Paper Workers Union, Local 219, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 704; 68 N.R. 112; 73 N.B.R.(2d) 236; 184 A.P.R. 236; 28 D.L.R.(4th) 1, refd to. [para. 125].

Gendron v. Supply and Services Union of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, Local 50057 et al., [1990] 1 S.C.R. 1298; 109 N.R. 321; 66 Man.R.(2d) 81; [1990] 4 W.W.R. 385, refd to. [para. 125].

Weber v. Ontario Hydro, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 929; 183 N.R. 241; 82 O.A.C. 321, refd to. [para. 126].

R. v. Mills, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 863; 67 N.R. 241; 16 O.A.C. 81; 52 C.R.(3d) 1; 26 C.C.C.(3d) 481; 29 D.L.R.(4th) 161, refd to. [para. 126].

Douglas/Kwantlen Faculty Association v. Douglas College, [1990] 3 S.C.R. 570; 118 N.R. 340, refd to. [para. 126].

Cuddy Chicks Ltd. v. Labour Relations Board (Ont.), [1991] 2 S.C.R. 5; 122 N.R. 361; 47 O.A.C. 271, refd to. [para. 126].

Tétreault-Gadoury v. Canada (Employ­ment and Immigration Commission), [1991] 2 S.C.R. 22; 126 N.R. 1; 81 D.L.R.(4th) 358, refd to. [para. 126].

New Brunswick v. O'Leary, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 967; 183 N.R. 229; 163 N.B.R.(2d) 97; 419 A.P.R. 97, refd to [para. 126].

Mooring v. Canada (National Parole Board), [1996] 1 S.C.R. 75; 192 N.R. 161, refd to. [para. 126].

Schokbéton Québec Inc. v. Métallurgistes unis d'Amérique, section locale 15398, [1984] T.A. 176, refd to. [para. 129].

Centre d'accueil du Haut St-Laurent v. Fédération des affaires sociales, [1985] T.A. 432, refd to. [para. 129].

Statutes Noticed:

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982, sect. 24 [para. 96].

Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, R.S.Q. 1977, c. C-12, sect. 10, sect. 10.1 [para. 51]; sect. 49, sect. 51, sect. 52 [para. 6]; sect. 53 [para. 91].

Civil Code of Lower Canada, sect. 1056a [para. 6].

Constitution Act, 1982, sect. 52 [para. 96].

Industrial Accidents and Occupational Diseases, Act respecting, R.S.Q. 1977, c. A-3.001, sect. 2, sect. 83, sect. 438, sect. 442 [para. 6].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Association Henri Capitant, Vocabulaire juridique (1994), p. 290 [para. 81].

Baudouin, Jean-Louis, La responsabilité civile (4th Ed. 1994), pp. 148 to 150 [para. 63]; 224 [para. 31].

Beaudoin, Gérald-A., De la suprématie de la Charte canadienne des droits et liber­tés, et des autres chartes sur le droit canadien, fédéral ou provincial, in Vues canadiennes et européennes des droits et libertés (1989), p. 23 [para. 90].

Caron, Madeleine, Le Code civil qué­bécois, instrument de protection des droits et libertés de la personne? (1978), 56 Can. Bar Rev. 197, p. 199 [para. 27].

Caron, Madeleine, Le droit à l'égalité dans le Code civil et dans la Charte qué­bécoise des droits et libertés (1985), 45 R. du B. 345, generally [para. 60].

Chamberland, Luc, Qui de l'arbitre de griefs ou des tribunaux civils est compé­tent en matière de réclamations moné­taires? (1992), 52 R. du B. 167, p. 173 [para. 133].

Cliche, Bernard, Lafontaine, Serge, and Mailhot, Richard, Traité de droit de la santé et de la securité au travail (1993), pp. 35 to 36 [para. 23].

Côté, Pierre-André, Interpretation of Legislation in Canada (2nd Ed. 1991), pp. 421 to 424 [para. 78].

Dallaire, Claude, Les dommages exem­plaires sous le régime des Chartes (1995), pp. 17 to 21 [para. 68].

Delwaide, Karl, Les articles 49 et 52 de la Charte québécoise des droits et libertés: recours et sanctions à l'encontre d'une violations des droits et libertés garantis par la Charte québécoise, in Application des Chartes des droits et libertés en matière civile (1988), p. 95 [para. 60].

Domat, Jean, Oeuvres complètes de J. Domat (1828), vol. 1, Book 2, Title 7, Section 4, generally [para. 64].

Drapeau, Maurice, La responsabilité pour atteinte illicite aux droits et libertés de la personne (1994), 28 R.J.T. 31, generally [para. 28].

Dubé, Lucille, L'immunité civile des em­ployeurs en vertu de la Loi sur les acci­dents du travail et les maladies pro­fes­sionnelles, in Développements récents en droit de la santé et sécurité au travail (1993), p. 81 [para. 76].

Ferland, Denis, and Emery, Benoit, Précis de procédure civile du Québec (2nd Ed. 1994), vol. 1, pp. 1 to 2 [para. 95].

Gagnon, Robert P., LeBel, Louis, and Verge, Pierre, Droit du travail (2nd Ed. 1991), generally [para. 128].

Gardner, Daniel, Les Dommages-intérets: une réforme inachevée (1988), 29 C. de D. 883, p. 905 [para. 65].

Grand Robert de la langue française (1986), vol. 6 [para. 108].

Jobin, Pierre-Gabriel, La violation d'une loi ou d'un règlement entraine-t-elle la responsabilité civile? (1984), 44 R. du B. 222, generally [para. 60].

Lippel, K., Le droit des accidentés du travail à une indemnité: analyse his­torique et critique (1986), pp. 15 to 59 [para. 17].

Monet, Dominique, Qui a la compétence sur le harcèlement au travail?, in De­veloppements récents en droit du travail (1995), p. 1 [para. 115].

Morin, Jacques-Yvan, La constitutionnali­sation progressive de la Charte des droits et libertés de la personne (1987), 21 R.J.T. 25, generally [para. 90].

Nadeau, André, and Nadeau, Richard, Traité pratique de la responsabilité civile délictuelle (1971), pp. 269 to 270 [para. 63].

Nadeau, André, Traité de droit civil du Québec (1949), vol. 8 [para. 76].

Otis, Ghislain, Le spectre d'une marginalisation des voies de recours découlant de la Charte québécoise (1991), 51 R. du B. 561, generally [para. 28].

Perret, Louis, De l'impact de la Charte des droits et libertés de la personne sur le droit civil des contrats et de la respon­sabilité du Québec (1981), 12 R.G.D. 121, generally [para. 27].

Pothier, Robert Joseph, Oeuvres de Pothier (2nd Ed. 1861), vol. 2 [para. 64].

Private Law Dictionary and Bilingual Lexicons (2nd Ed. 1991), pp. 11 [para. 82]; 62 [para. 26]; 62 to 63 [para. 85]; 254 [para. 84]; 381 [para. 81].

Rémillard, Gil, Les règles d'interprétation relatives à la charte canadienne des droits et libertés de la personne du Qué­bec, in Perspectives canadiennes et européens des droits de la personne, in Turp and Beaudoin (eds.) (1986), p. 205 [para. 90].

Scott, F.R., The Bill of Rights and Quebec Law (1959), 37 Can. Bar Rev. 135, p. 136 [para. 27].

Turp, D. and G.-A. Beaudoin (eds.), Pers­pectives canadiennes et européennes des droits de la personne (1986), p. 205 [para. 90].

Viney, Geneviève, and Markesinis, Basis, La réparation du dommage corporel: essai de comparaison des droits anglais et français (1985), pp. 55 to 56 [para. 64].

Vocabulaire juridique (1994), pp. 19 [para. 82]; 290 [para. 81]; 723 [para. 84]; 724 [para. 85].

Counsel:

Jacques Blanchette, for the appellant;

Pierre Bérubé and Annie Gerbeau, for the respondents;

Jean-Claude Paquet, for the intervenor, Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail;

Bernard Bélanger, for the mis-en-cause, Pierre Gendron.

Solicitors of Record:

Jacques Blanchette, Sherbrooke, Quebec, for the appellant;

Roy, Dagenais, Allen, Laval, Quebec, for the respondents;

Panneton Lessard, Quebec City, Quebec, for the intervenor;

Laurin, Laplante, Montreal, Quebec, for the mis-en-cause.

This appeal was heard on November 3, 1995, before La Forest, L'Heureux-Dubé, Sopinka, Gonthier, McLachlin, Iacobucci and Major, JJ., of the Supreme Court of Canada.

On June 20, 1996, the judgment of the Supreme Court of Canada was delivered in both official languages and the following opinions were filed:

Gonthier, J. (Sopinka, McLachlin, Iacobucci and Major, JJ., concurring) - see paragraphs 1 to 46;

L'Heureux-Dubé, J. (La Forest, J., con­curring), dissenting in part - see para­graphs 47 to 137.