R. v. P. (J.), [1990] 2 S.C.R. 300
Jeffrey P. Appellant
v.
Her Majesty The Queen Respondent
and
The Attorney General of Canada,
the Attorney General of Quebec and
the Attorney General for Saskatchewan Interveners
indexed as: r. v. p. (j.)
File No.: 21335.
1989: March 23; 1990: June 28.
Present: Dickson C.J. and Lamer, Wilson, La Forest, Sopinka, Gonthier and Cory JJ.
on appeal from the court of appeal for ontario
Appeal -- Mootness -- Young offender challenging the constitutionality of Ontario's alternative measures programme on basis that it infringes ss. 15(1) and 7 of Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms -- Supreme Court of Canada holding in concurrent judgment that s. 4 of Young Offenders Act does not oblige provinces to implement such programme -- Issue raised in this appeal rendered moot by Supreme Court of Canada's judgment ‑‑ Admission criteria set out in Ontario's programme not infringing ss. 15(1) and 7 of the Charter.
Constitutional law -- Charter of Rights -- Equality before the law ‑‑ Fundamental justice ‑‑ Eligibility for Ontario's alternative measures programme based upon nature of offences charged against young offender -- Admission criteria set out in Ontario's programme not infringing ss. 15(1) and 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms ‑‑ Young Offenders Act, S.C. 1980‑81‑82‑83, c. 110, s. 4.
Held: The appeal should be dismissed.
Cases Cited
Applied: R. v. S. (G.), [1990] 1 S.C.R. 000, aff'g (1988), 67 O.R. (2d) 198 (C.A.), rev'g (1988), 5 W.C.B. (2d) 200 (Ont. Prov. Ct. (Fam. Div.))
Statutes and Regulations Cited
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, ss. 7, 15(1).
Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1970, c. C‑34, ss. 294(b) [rep. & sub. 1972, c. 13, s. 23; rep. & sub. 1974‑75‑76, c. 93, s. 25; rep. & sub. 1985, c. 19, s. 44(2)], 309(1) [rep. & sub. 1972, c. 13, s. 25; rep. & sub. 1985, c. 19, s. 49], 313(b) [rep. & sub. 1972, c. 13, s. 30; rep. & sub. 1974‑75‑76, c. 93, s. 30; rep. & sub. 1985, c. 19, s. 50(2)].
APPEAL from a judgment of the Ontario Court of Appeal (1988), 31 O.A.C. 231, allowing the Crown's appeal from a judgment of the Ontario Youth Court (1988), 5 W.C.B. (2d) 111, granting a stay of proceedings pursuant to s. 24 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Appeal dismissed.
Marlys Edwardh, for the appellant.
Brian J. Gover, for the respondent.
Douglas J. A. Rutherford, Q.C., and D. J. Avison, for the intervener the Attorney General of Canada.
Yves de Montigny and Jean Turmel, for the intervener the Attorney General of Quebec.
Robert G. Richards and Ross Macnab, for the intervener the Attorney General for Saskatchewan.
//The Chief Justice//
The judgment of the Court was delivered by
THE CHIEF JUSTICE -- This appeal was heard together with R. v. S. (G.), [1990] 1 S.C.R. 000 (released concurrently with these reasons). The appellant was charged on April 13, 1988, with the indictable offence of possession of instruments for the purpose of breaking into a vehicle and the dual procedure offences of theft under $1,000, and possession of stolen goods under $1,000, pursuant to ss. 309(1), 294(b), and 313(b) of the Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1970, c. C-34. The offences were alleged to have occurred on or about April 11, 1988, when the appellant was 15 years of age.
On July 8, 1988, Judge King of the Provincial Court of Ontario (Family Division), released reasons for judgment in this appeal (1988), 5 W.C.B. (2d) 111, and in R. v. S. (G.) (1988), 5 W.C.B. (2d) 200, in which she held that the alternative measures program in Ontario, authorized pursuant to s. 4 of the Young Offenders Act, S.C. 1980-81-82-83, c. 110, infringed the appellant's rights pursuant to s. 15(1) and s. 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. On August 4, 1988, Judge King granted a stay of proceedings pursuant to s. 24 of the Charter.
The respondent appealed from the rulings of the Youth Court judge to the Ontario Court of Appeal. Reasons for judgment were given by Lacourcière J.A. for a unanimous court on December 29, 1988, concurrently with the court's reasons in R. v. S. (G.) (1988), 67 O.R. (2d) 198. The appeal was allowed and orders were made to quash the orders staying the proceedings and to remit the matters for trial before another judge of the Youth Court of Ontario: (1988), 31 O.A.C. 231.
For the reasons which I have given in R. v. S. (G.), supra, I would dismiss the appeal, and answer the constitutional questions raised in this appeal in the following manner:
1. Are the admission criteria set out in the Alternative Measures Program designated by the Attorney General for the province of Ontario inconsistent with s. 7 or s. 15(1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
Answer: No.
2. If the admission criteria set out in the Alternative Measures Program designated by the Attorney General for the province of Ontario are inconsistent either with s. 7 or s. 15(1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, whether that inconsistency is justified on the basis of s. 1 thereof.
Answer: The question need not be answered.
Appeal dismissed.
Solicitor for the appellant: Marlys Edwardh, Toronto.
Solicitor for the respondent: The Ministry of the Attorney General, Toronto.
Solicitor for the intervener the Attorney General of Canada: John C. Tait, Ottawa.
Solicitors for the intervener the Attorney General of Quebec: Yves de Montigny and Françoise Saint‑Martin, Ste‑Foy.
Solicitor for the intervener the Attorney General for Saskatchewan: Brian Barrington‑Foote, Regina.