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Hunt v T&N plc

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241:
the other province's courts, and where moreover, as here, such a challenge is unlikely. Where the violation is as much a violation against the Constitution of Canada, then the superior courts which must legitimately face the issue should be able to deal with the question. Against this position, it was observed that most of the parties interested in the question as interveners would be in the province whose statute is impugned. That may be, but where the alleged violation relates to extraterritorial effect, many of the interested parties are also outside Quebec. Above all, it is simply not just to place the onus on the party affected to undertake costly constitutional litigation in another jurisdiction.
40: 304:, a more accommodating approach to recognition and enforcement was premised on there being a "real and substantial connection" to the forum that assumed jurisdiction and gave judgment. Contrary to the comments of some commentators and lower court judges, this was not meant to be a rigid test, but was simply intended to capture the idea that there must be some limits on the claims to jurisdiction. Indeed I observed (at p. 1104) that the "real and substantial connection" test was developed in 281:, is inherent in the structure of the Canadian federation, and, as such, is beyond the power of provincial legislatures to override. This does not mean, however, that a province is debarred from enacting any legislation that may have some effect on litigation in other provinces or indeed from enacting legislation respecting modalities for recognition of judgments of other provinces. But it does mean that it must respect the minimum standards of order and fairness addressed in 237:
is raised that differentiates this case. But all judges within the Canadian judicial structure must be taken to be competent to interpret their own Constitution. In a judicial system consisting of neutral arbiters trained in principles of a federal state and required to exercise comity, the general notion that the process is unfair simply is not legally sustainable, all the more so when the process is subject to the supervisory jurisdiction of this Court.
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problems: if the extraterritorial effects of the law are themselves a prerequisite to the British Columbia court taking jurisdiction, then who is to determine that such extraterritorial effects exist in a particular case? The process must begin somewhere, and we must rely on the good sense of our superior courts in the respective provinces to not gratuitously assume jurisdiction.
314:, for products liability cases as an example of where jurisdiction would be properly assumed. The exact limits of what constitutes a reasonable assumption of jurisdiction were not defined, and I add that no test can perhaps ever be rigidly applied; no court has ever been able to anticipate all of these. However, though some of these may well require reconsideration in light of 267:
was not argued in constitutional terms, so it was sufficient there to infuse the constitutional considerations into the rules that might otherwise have governed issues of enforcement and recognition of judgment. But the issue was very clearly raised in this case and in fact a constitutional question
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This approach is even more persuasive where, as here, the issue relates to the constitutionality of the legislation of a province that has extraprovincial effects in another province. This is especially true where the constitutionality of the other province's legislation has never been challenged in
236:
It may, no doubt, be advanced that courts in the province that enacts legislation have more familiarity with statutes of that province. It must not be forgotten, however, that courts are routinely called to apply foreign law in appropriate cases. It is thus only the fact that a constitutional issue
65:
George Ernest Hunt Appellant v Lac d'Amiante du Québec Ltée, Asbestos Corporation Limited, Atlas Turner Inc., Bell Asbestos Mines Limited, JM Asbestos Inc., the Quebec Asbestos Mining Association and National Gypsum Co. and T&N, plc, Carey Canada Inc., Flintkote Mines Limited and The Flintkote
244:
I agree that, because of the far-reaching impact of such rulings, the courts should restrict themselves to hearing constitutional challenges to the legislation of other provinces only where there is a real interest affected in their province. Unfortunately, there are intractable "chicken and egg"
272:
reveals, the constitutional considerations raised are just that. They are constitutional imperatives, and as such apply to the provincial legislatures as well as to the courts, as the Attorney General for Ontario conceded and as a number of commentators have maintained.... In short, to use the
187:
This was the second appearance before the Supreme Court of Canada for this case. The Court had previously ruled on the question of where a statement of claim could be struck out for want of a reasonable claim, stating that striking out cannot be justified because a pleading reveals "an arguable,
318:, the connections relied on under the traditional rules are a good place to start. More than this was left to depend on the gradual accumulation of connections defined in accordance with the broad principles of order and fairness.... But I think that the general approach was solidly based. 296:
was careful to indicate, however, that a court must have reasonable grounds for assuming jurisdiction. One must emphasize that the ideas of "comity" are not an end in themselves, but are grounded in notions of order and fairness to participants in litigation with connections to multiple
310:, 1 A.C. 33, in a case involving matrimonial status (where sound policy demands generosity in recognition), and that in a personal action a nexus may need to be sought between the subject-matter and the territory where the action is brought. I then considered the test developed in 207:
courts may consider constitutional arguments in determining foreign law that incidentally arises in the course of litigation. A foreign court in making a finding of fact should not be bound to assume that the mere enactment of a statute necessarily means that it is
277:, at p. 1100, the "integrating character of our constitutional arrangements as they apply to interprovincial mobility" calls for the courts in each province to give "full faith and credit" to the judgments of the courts of sister provinces. This, as also noted in 155:. The Court ruled that the Quebec law prohibiting the removal of company documents from the province was constitutionally inapplicable to a British Columbia court order. The decision was significant in that it affirmed much of the reasoning from 211:
that both jurisdictions in question are part of the same Canadian federation and governed by the same Constitution reinforces and possibly augments the powers of the superior courts to consider the constitutional
173:
fibres from a product that was manufactured in Quebec. As part of his action in British Columbia he tried to get an order to retrieve documents from the manufacturer in Quebec. The Quebec
204:
the Quebec prohibition on the removal of documents for litigation in BC was constitutionally inapplicable. The Act would remain in force but could not be applied against other provinces.
328: 103:, (1991), 56 B.C.L.R. (2d) 365, 81 D.L.R. (4th) 763, 5 W.W.R. 475, 48 C.P.C. (2d) 247, 3 B.C.A.C. 138, 7 W.A.C. 138, affirming a judgment of Esson C.J.S.C. 425: 415: 285:. I turn briefly then to the relevant principles after which I shall consider whether the statute impugned in this case offends these standards. 110:, (1990), 43 B.C.L.R. (2d) 390, 67 D.L.R. (4th) 687, 3 W.W.R. 558, dismissing an application for an order compelling the production of documents. 260:
has attained great significance because of the manner in which it built upon the principles first expressed in Morguard. As noted by Laforest J:
430: 157: 435: 420: 215:
the Supreme Court of Canada is not restricted to the identical powers and procedures of the lower courts from which an appeal is made.
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was that in our federation a greater degree of recognition and enforcement of judgments given in other provinces was called for.
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difficult or important point of law". On the contrary, it may well be critical that the action be allowed to proceed.
177:
prohibited the removal of documents outside of the province. Hunt attempted to challenge the law as unconstitutional.
184:- which allowed for inter-provincial enforcement of orders - could equally apply for constitutional challenges. 104: 97: 161:(1990) and further held that the principles first identified in Morguard are fundamental to the constitution. 392: 373: 148: 45: 400: 358: 346: 225: 306: 39: 396: 197: 169:
George Hunt, a resident of British Columbia, was diagnosed with cancer caused by the inhalation of
152: 409: 72: 17: 80:, 1993 CanLII 43 (SCC), 4 SCR 289; 109 DLR (4th) 16; 1 WWR 129; 85 BCLR (2d) 1 170: 196:
The Court allowed Hunt's appeal, in a unanimous decision written by
96:
APPEAL from a judgment of the British Columbia Court of Appeal
364:, 2 SCR 959; 74 DLR (4th) 321; 6 WWR 385; 49 BCLR (2d) 273 268:
was framed. Now, as perusal of the last cited passage from
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of the provincial superior courts was greatly expanded in
329:
List of Supreme Court of Canada cases (Lamer Court)
132: 127: 122: 114: 92: 84: 71: 60: 53: 32: 262: 234: 147:, 4 S.C.R. 289 is a landmark decision of the 8: 220:Provincial courts in the Canadian federation 339: 158:Morguard Investments Ltd. v. De Savoye 29: 99:Hunt v. Lac d'Amiante du QuĂ©bec LtĂ©e. 7: 375:Moran v. Pyle National (Canada) Ltd. 312:Moran v. Pyle National (Canada) Ltd. 347:SCC Case Information - Docket 22637 25: 426:Canadian civil procedure case law 416:Canadian constitutional case law 38: 1: 431:Supreme Court of Canada cases 180:Hunt attempted to argue that 175:Business Concerns Records Act 232:, as noted in the judgment: 27:Supreme Court of Canada case 56:Judgment: November 18, 1993 452: 108:, 1990 CanLII 1109 (BC SC) 101:, 1991 CanLII 1035 (BC CA) 436:1993 in Canadian case law 421:Conflict of laws case law 360:Hunt v. Carey Canada Inc. 54:Hearing: October 7, 1992 37: 379:, 1 SCR 393; 2 WWR 586 273:expressions employed in 393:Supreme Court of Canada 377:, 1973 CanLII 192 (SCC) 349:Supreme Court of Canada 149:Supreme Court of Canada 46:Supreme Court of Canada 362:, 1990 CanLII 90 (SCC) 320: 247: 226:inherent jurisdiction 288:The basic thrust of 192:Reasons of the court 133:Unanimous reasons by 78:Hunt v. T&N plc 18:Hunt v. T&N plc 224:The nature of the 144:Hunt v T&N plc 33:Hunt v T&N plc 250:The extension of 140: 139: 106:Hunt v. T & N 16:(Redirected from 443: 380: 371: 365: 356: 350: 344: 307:Indyka v. Indyka 200:. He held that: 153:conflict of laws 123:Court membership 42: 30: 21: 451: 450: 446: 445: 444: 442: 441: 440: 406: 405: 388: 383: 372: 368: 357: 353: 345: 341: 337: 325: 297:jurisdictions. 255: 222: 208:constitutional. 194: 167: 55: 49: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 449: 447: 439: 438: 433: 428: 423: 418: 408: 407: 404: 403: 387: 386:External links 384: 382: 381: 366: 351: 338: 336: 333: 332: 331: 324: 321: 254: 248: 221: 218: 217: 216: 213: 209: 205: 193: 190: 166: 163: 138: 137: 134: 130: 129: 125: 124: 120: 119: 118:Appeal allowed 116: 112: 111: 94: 90: 89: 86: 82: 81: 75: 69: 68: 62: 61:Full case name 58: 57: 51: 50: 43: 35: 34: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 448: 437: 434: 432: 429: 427: 424: 422: 419: 417: 414: 413: 411: 402: 398: 394: 391:Full text of 390: 389: 385: 378: 376: 370: 367: 363: 361: 355: 352: 348: 343: 340: 334: 330: 327: 326: 322: 319: 317: 313: 309: 308: 303: 298: 295: 291: 286: 284: 280: 276: 271: 266: 261: 259: 253: 249: 246: 242: 238: 233: 231: 227: 219: 214: 210: 206: 203: 202: 201: 199: 191: 189: 185: 183: 178: 176: 172: 164: 162: 160: 159: 154: 150: 146: 145: 135: 131: 128:Reasons given 126: 121: 117: 113: 109: 107: 102: 100: 95: 93:Prior history 91: 87: 83: 79: 76: 74: 70: 67: 63: 59: 52: 48: 47: 41: 36: 31: 19: 395:decision at 374: 369: 359: 354: 342: 315: 311: 305: 301: 299: 293: 289: 287: 282: 278: 274: 269: 264: 263: 257: 256: 251: 243: 239: 235: 229: 223: 195: 186: 181: 179: 174: 168: 156: 143: 142: 141: 136:La Forest J. 105: 98: 77: 64: 44: 198:La Forest J 410:Categories 399: and 335:References 165:Background 85:Docket No. 73:Citations 323:See also 316:Morguard 302:Morguard 294:Morguard 290:Morguard 283:Morguard 279:Morguard 275:Morguard 270:Morguard 265:Morguard 252:Morguard 182:Morguard 171:asbestos 212:issues. 401:CanLII 115:Ruling 88:22637 397:LexUM 258:Hunt 230:Hunt 300:In 151:on 66:Co. 412:: 20:)

Index

Hunt v. T&N plc
Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
Citations
Hunt v. Lac d'Amiante du Québec Ltée., 1991 CanLII 1035 (BC CA)
Hunt v. T & N, 1990 CanLII 1109 (BC SC)
Supreme Court of Canada
conflict of laws
Morguard Investments Ltd. v. De Savoye
asbestos
La Forest J
inherent jurisdiction
Indyka v. Indyka
List of Supreme Court of Canada cases (Lamer Court)
SCC Case Information - Docket 22637
Hunt v. Carey Canada Inc., 1990 CanLII 90 (SCC)
Moran v. Pyle National (Canada) Ltd., 1973 CanLII 192 (SCC)
Supreme Court of Canada
LexUM
CanLII
Categories
Canadian constitutional case law
Conflict of laws case law
Canadian civil procedure case law
Supreme Court of Canada cases
1993 in Canadian case law

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