R. v. Barreau
The Court held the third‑party records regime did not apply to the alleged oral statements and, on the facts, did not bar disclosure of the draft statement of claim because settlement and mediation privilege did not attach; the trial judge did not commit jurisdictional error or error of law in issuing the subpoena...
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- 2021 ONCA 918
- Parties
- Respondent: Her Majesty the Queen; Respondent: Kevin Barreau; Appellant: J.R.; Appellant: Toronto Police Service
- Court
- Court of Appeal for Ontario
- Jurisdiction
- Canada
- Judgment Date
- 21 December 2021
- Procedural Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Appeal From Superior Court Dismissal of Certiorari Application; Court of Appeal Hearing and Judgment (appeal Dismissed)
- Outcome
- Appeal dismissed.
- Legal Topics
- Third‑party Records Regime, Subpoena to Testify, Settlement and Mediation Privilege, Privacy/publication Restrictions, Certiorari, Charter Application, Interests of Justice
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Her Majesty the Queen
Respondent
Kevin Barreau
Respondent
J.R.
Appellant
Toronto Police Service
Appellant
Procedural Posture
Criminal Appeal / Appeal From Superior Court Dismissal of Certiorari Application; Court of Appeal Hearing and Judgment (appeal Dismissed)
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the third‑party records regime in ss.278.1‑278.9 of the Criminal Code applied to (a) oral statements by a former officer and (b) a draft statement of claim;
- 2 Whether settlement and mediation privilege protected the draft statement of claim;
- 3 Whether the trial judge erred in issuing a subpoena requiring J.R. to testify;
Ratio Decidendi
The Court held the third‑party records regime did not apply to the alleged oral statements and, on the facts, did not bar disclosure of the draft statement of claim because settlement and mediation privilege did not attach; the trial judge did not commit jurisdictional error or error of law in issuing the subpoena or ordering production, and even if the regime applied the statutory criteria supported production in the interests of justice; accordingly the appeal is dismissed and the lower unsealing and set‑aside orders are now in force.
Court Disposition
Appeal dismissed.
Orders
- Interim stay dated August 9, 2021 set aside
- Unsealing and set aside orders made by Copeland J. at paras. 29(ii) and (iii) of her endorsement dated July 27, 2021 are now in force
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
1 paragraphs
R. v. Barreau Collection Decisions of the Court of Appeal Date 2021-12-21 Neutral citation 2021 ONCA 918 Docket numbers C69723, M52943 Judges Gillese, Eileen E.; Brown, David M.; Coroza, Steve A. Subject Criminal Decision Content WARNING The President of the panel hearing this appeal directs that the following should be attached to the file: An order restricting publication in this proceeding under ss. 486.4(1), (2), (2.1), (2.2), (3) or (4) or 486.6(1) or (2) of the Criminal Code shall continue. These sections of the Criminal Code provide: 486.4(1) Subject to subsection (2), the presiding judge or justice may make an order directing that any information that could identify the victim or a witness shall not be published in any document or broadcast or transmitted in any way, in proceedings in respect of (a) any of the following offences; (i) an offence under section 151, 152, 153, 153.1, 155, 159, 160, 162, 163.1, 170, 171, 171.1, 172, 172.1, 172.2, 173, 210, 211, 213, 271, 272, 273, 279.01, 279.011, 279.02, 279.03, 280, 281, 286.1, 286.2, 286.3, 346 or 347, or (ii) any offence under this Act, as it read at any time before the day on which this subparagraph comes into force, if the conduct alleged involves a violation of the complainant’s sexual integrity and that conduct would be an offence referred to in subparagraph (i) if it occurred on or after that day; or (iii) REPEALED: S.C. 2014, c. 25, s. 22(2), effective December 6, 2014 (Act, s. 49). (b) two or more offences being dealt with in the same proceeding, at least one of which is an offence referred to in paragraph (a). (2) In proceedings in respect of the offences referred to in paragraph (1)(a) or (b), the presiding judge or justice shall (a) at the first reasonable opportunity, inform any witness under the age of eighteen years and the victim of the right to make an application for the order; and (b) on application made by the victim, the prosecutor or any such witness, make the order. (2.1) Subject to subsection (2.2), in proceedings in respect of an offence other than an offence referred to in subsection (1), if the victim is under the age of 18 years, the presiding judge or justice may make an order directing that any information that could identify the victim shall not be published in any document or broadcast or transmitted in any way. (2.2) In proceedings in respect of an offence other than an offence referred to in subsection (1), if the victim is under the age of 18 years, the presiding judge or justice shall (a) as soon as feasible, inform the victim of their right to make an application for the order; and (b) on application of the victim or the prosecutor, make the order. (3) In proceedings in respect of an offence under section 163.1, a judge or justice shall make an order directing that any information that could identify a witness who is under the age of eighteen years, or any person who is the subject of a representation, written material or a recording that constitutes child pornography within the meaning of that section, shall not be published in any document or broadcast or transmitted in any way. (4) An order made under this section does not apply in respect of the disclosure of information in the course of the administration of justice when it is not the purpose of the disclosure to make the information known in the community. 2005, c. 32, s. 15; 2005, c. 43, s. 8(3)(b); 2010, c. 3, s. 5; 2012, c. 1, s. 29; 2014, c. 25, ss. 22,48; 2015, c. 13, s. 18. 486.6(1) Every person who fails to comply with an order made under subsection 486.4(1), (2) or (3) or 486.5(1) or (2) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction. (2) For greater certainty, an order referred to in subsection (1) applies to prohibit, in relation to proceedings taken against any person who fails to comply with the order, the publication in any document or the broadcasting or transmission in any way of information that could identify a victim, witness or justice system participant whose identity is protected by the order. 2005, c. 32, s. 15. COURT OF APPEAL FOR ONTARIO CITATION: R. v. Barreau, 2021 ONCA 918 DATE: 20211221 DOCKET: M52943 (C69723) Gillese, Brown and Coroza JJ.A. BETWEEN Her Majesty the Queen Respondent and Kevin Barreau Respondent and J.R. Appellant and Toronto Police Service Appellant David Butt, for the appellant/moving party J.R. Noah Schachter, for the appellant/moving party Toronto Police Service Nicolas de Montigny, for the respondent Attorney General of Ontario Chris Rudnicki and Theresa Donkor, for the respondent Kevin Barreau Heard: December 17, 2021 by video conference On appeal from the judgment of Justice Jill M. Copeland of the Superior Court of Justice, dated July 27, 2021, dismissing an application for certiorari from the order of Justice Russell S. Silverstein of the Ontario Court of Justice, dated May 27, 2021. REASONS FOR DECISION [1] As an issue on this appeal concerns whether the third-party records regime in ss. 278.1-278.9 of the Criminal Code, R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46, applies, by order of the panel on the motion this appeal was heard in camera. [2] The arguments below focused on the applicability of the third-party records regime to the evidence it was anticipated the former officer (J.R.) would provide. The application judge concluded that the trial judge had not made an error of jurisdiction or an error of law on the face of the record in issuing a subpoena requiring J.R. to testify at Mr. Barreau’s trial. We see no error in her analysis or her conclusions. [3] As both the trial judge and application judge held, clearly the third-party records regime would not apply to the oral statements allegedly made by J.R. to her former colleague (“A”), who provided two affidavits on the application before the trial judge. [4] As to the draft statement of claim, which in one paragraph repeated the alleged oral statement, both judges below correctly stated the applicable legal principles. In particular, they recognized that the principles in R. v. Shearing, 2002 SCC 58, [2002] 3 S.C.R. 33, applied to the issue of the lawfulness of how the defence acquired the draft statement of claim. We see no reversible error in their conclusions that settlement and mediation privilege did not apply and, therefore, in the particular circumstances, the third-party records regime did not apply. [5] In any event, the trial judge held that if the third-party records regime applied, upon applying the statutory criteria he concluded that production of the draft statement of claim to the defence on its Charter application was necessary in the interests of justice. We see no reversible error in that conclusion. [6] The appeal is dismissed. [7] The interim stay dated August 9, 2021 granted by Harvison Young J.A. is set aside. Accordingly, the unsealing and set aside orders made by Copeland J. at paras. 29(ii) and (iii) of her endorsement dated July 27, 2021 are now in force. “E.E. Gillese J.A.” “David Brown J.A.” “S. Coroza J.A.”