Tsleil-Waututh Nation v. Canada (Attorney General)

Tsleil-Waututh Nation v. Canada (Attorney General)

The court struck the impugned affidavit evidence because Trans Mountain conceded the information was confidential, the written agreement showed the information was imparted in circumstances of confidence, and disclosure without permission would be detrimental to Upper Nicola; a general court confidentiality order...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
2018 FCA 155
Parties
Applicant: TSLEIL-WAUTUTH NATION; Applicant: CITY OF VANCOUVER; Applicant: CITY OF BURNABY; Applicant: THE SQUAMISH NATION (also known as the SQUAMISH INDIAN BAND); Applicant: XÀLEK/SEKYÚ SIÝAM; Applicant: CHIEF IAN CAMPBELL on his own behalf and on behalf of all members of the Squamish Nation; Applicant: COLDWATER INDIAN BAND; Applicant: CHIEF LEE SPAHAN in his capacity as Chief of the Coldwater Band on behalf of all members of the Coldwater Band; Applicant: AITCHELITZ; Applicant: SKOWKALE; Applicant: SHXWHÁ:Y VILLAGE; Applicant: SOOWAHLIE; Applicant: SQUIALA FIRST NATION; Applicant: TZEACHTEN; Applicant: YAKWEAKWIOOSE; Applicant: SKWAH; Applicant: CHIEF DAVID JIMMIE on his own behalf and on behalf of all members of the TS’ELXWÉYEQW TRIBE; Applicant: UPPER NICOLA BAND; Applicant: CHIEF RON IGNACE and CHIEF FRED SEYMOUR on their own behalf and on behalf of all other members of the STK’EMLUPSEMC TE SECWEPEMC of the SECWEPEMC NATION; Applicant: RAINCOAST CONSERVATION FOUNDATION; Applicant: LIVING OCEANS SOCIETY; Respondent: ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA; Respondent: NATIONAL ENERGY BOARD; Respondent: TRANS MOUNTAIN PIPELINE ULC; Intervener: ATTORNEY GENERAL OF ALBERTA; Intervener: ATTORNEY GENERAL OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Court
Federal Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction
Canada
Judgment Date
30 August 2018
Procedural Posture
Judicial Review of Governor in Council Decision Approving Trans Mountain Expansion / Federal Court of Appeal Reasons for Order on Admissibility and Confidentiality of Affidavit Evidence
Outcome
Impugned portions of Trans Mountain's affidavit struck for breach of confidentiality; limited procedural directions issued concerning redactions and submissions; parties barred from exploiting absence of evidence to allege deficient engagement.
Legal Topics
Breach of Confidence, Confidentiality Orders, Admissibility of Evidence, Judicial Review, Consultation and Accommodation
Source Language
en
Administrative Law Evidence Indigenous Law Energy/regulatory Law Equity/confidentiality Breach of Confidence Confidentiality Orders Admissibility of Evidence +2 more

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Parties

TSLEIL-WAUTUTH NATION

Applicant

CITY OF VANCOUVER

Applicant

CITY OF BURNABY

Applicant

THE SQUAMISH NATION (also known as the SQUAMISH INDIAN BAND)

Applicant

XÀLEK/SEKYÚ SIÝAM

Applicant

CHIEF IAN CAMPBELL on his own behalf and on behalf of all members of the Squamish Nation

Applicant

COLDWATER INDIAN BAND

Applicant

CHIEF LEE SPAHAN in his capacity as Chief of the Coldwater Band on behalf of all members of the Coldwater Band

Applicant

AITCHELITZ

Applicant

SKOWKALE

Applicant

SHXWHÁ:Y VILLAGE

Applicant

SOOWAHLIE

Applicant

SQUIALA FIRST NATION

Applicant

TZEACHTEN

Applicant

YAKWEAKWIOOSE

Applicant

SKWAH

Applicant

CHIEF DAVID JIMMIE on his own behalf and on behalf of all members of the TS’ELXWÉYEQW TRIBE

Applicant

UPPER NICOLA BAND

Applicant

CHIEF RON IGNACE and CHIEF FRED SEYMOUR on their own behalf and on behalf of all other members of the STK’EMLUPSEMC TE SECWEPEMC of the SECWEPEMC NATION

Applicant

RAINCOAST CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

Applicant

LIVING OCEANS SOCIETY

Applicant

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA

Respondent

NATIONAL ENERGY BOARD

Respondent

TRANS MOUNTAIN PIPELINE ULC

Respondent

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF ALBERTA

Intervener

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Intervener

Procedural Posture

Judicial Review of Governor in Council Decision Approving Trans Mountain Expansion / Federal Court of Appeal Reasons for Order on Admissibility and Confidentiality of Affidavit Evidence

  1. 1 Whether Trans Mountain's second Love affidavit containing confidential information was admissible or should be struck
  2. 2 Whether a breach of confidence was established and what remedy is appropriate
  3. 3 Whether an existing confidentiality order sufficed to protect the confidential information

Ratio Decidendi

The court struck the impugned affidavit evidence because Trans Mountain conceded the information was confidential, the written agreement showed the information was imparted in circumstances of confidence, and disclosure without permission would be detrimental to Upper Nicola; a general court confidentiality order did not cure the misuse and the equitable remedy was exclusion of the evidence while preventing the confider from relying on its exclusion to assert prejudice.

Court Disposition

Impugned portions of Trans Mountain's affidavit struck for breach of confidentiality; limited procedural directions issued concerning redactions and submissions; parties barred from exploiting absence of evidence to allege deficient engagement.

Orders

  • Impugned affidavit evidence struck
  • Upper Nicola and Trans Mountain to serve and file submissions within ten days as to what portions of these reasons should be redacted from the public version; submissions not to exceed five pages