List of Supreme Court of Canada cases

This is a chronological list of notable cases decided by the Supreme Court of Canada.

Note that the Privy Council heard appeals for criminal cases until 1933 and for civil cases until 1949.

Contents

1 1877 – 1899 2 1900 – 1939 3 1940 – 1959 4 1960 – 1979 5 1980 – 1999 6 2000 – present 6.1 Not yet decided 7 External links

1877 – 1899

• Kelly v. Sullivan [1876] : First case heard by Supreme Court of Canada

1900 – 1939

• Blackburn & Cox v. McCallum (1903), 33 S.C.R. 65
• Edwards v. Canada (Attorney General) [1928] S.C.R. 276: "Persons Case"
• Reference Re Alberta Statutes [1938] S.C.R. 100

1940 – 1959

• Saumur v. The City of Quebec [1953] 2 S.C.R. 299
• Deglman v. Guaranty Trust Co, v. Constantineau [1954] 3 S.C.R. 785 : quantum meruit
• Beaver v. R. [1957]: subjective mens rea required for possession
• Switzman v. Elbling [1957] S.C.R. 285: constitutional division of powers
• Priestman v. Colangelo [1959] Duty of Care in public service conduct.
• Roncarelli v. Duplessis [1959] S.C.R. 121 [1] (http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/en/browseSubjects/roncarelli.asp)constitution, arbitrary action by government.

1960 – 1979

• Globe and Mail v. Boland [1960]: Slander and libel, qualified privilege.
• O'Grady v. Sparling [1960] S.C.R. 804
• R. v. Whitfield [1969] : Definition of arrest
• R. v. Drybones [1970] S.C.R. 282: Canadian Bill of Rights
• Horsley v. MacLaren (The Ogopogo) [1972]: no duty to rescue
• Jordan House Ltd. v. Menow [1973] : commercial host liability
• Murdoch v. Murdoch [1973] : Division of matrimonial property
• Calder v. British Columbia (Attorney General), [1973] S.C.R. 313 Aboriginal rights.
• Canada (A.G.) v. City of Montreal [1978] 2 S.C.R. 770.
• R. v. City of Sault Ste. Marie [1978]: creation of "Strict Liability" class of offences
• Cherneskey v. Armadale Publishers [1979]: defamation
• Bliss v. Canada (Attorney General) [1979] 1 S.C.R. 183: Canadian Bill of Rights

1980 – 1999

• Reibel v. Hughes [1980] : Duty to disclose
• Pettkus v. Becker [1980] 2 S.C.R. 834
• Perka v. R. [1984] : defence of necessity
• R. v. Guerin, [1984] 2 S.C.R. 335 Aboriginal rights
• R. v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd., [1985] 1 S.C.R. 295 :Lord's Day Act violates Charter
• Canadian Dredge & Dock Co. v. R., [1985] 1 S.C.R. 662, Template:Canlii-scc: corporate liability
• Re B.C. Motor Vehicle Act [1986] : no jail sentences for Absolute Liability crimes
• Central Trust Company v. Rafuse [1986]: Standard of care for lawyers
• R. v. Oakes [1986] 1 S.C.R. 103:Oakes test for applying limitations clause.
• RWDSU v. Dolphin Delivery Ltd. [1986] 2 S.C.R. 573: Scope of the Charter
• Robichaud v. Canada (Treasury Board) [1987] 2 S.C.R. 84: Secondary liability for discrimination
• R. v. Manninen [1987] : right to seek council on arrest
• R. v. Vaillancourt, [1987] 2 SCR 636 : mens rea required for all criminal offences
• Crocker v. Sundance Northwest Resorts [1988]: exception to Ogopogo rule
• R. v. Morgentaler [1988] 1 S.C.R. 30 : abortion law violates Charter
• Ford v. Quebec (A.G.) [1988] 2 S.C.R. 712: Quebec's Charter of the French Language unconstitutional.
• Irwin Toy Ltd. v. Quebec (Attorney General) [1989] : Freedom of speech
• Andrews v. Law Society of British Columbia, [1989] : Andrews test for Equality under Charter (s.15)
• R. v. Turpin, [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1296: Charter right to trial by jury.
• R. v. Tutton, [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1392: Criminal negligence
• R. v. Sparrow, [1990] 1. S.C.R. 1075 aboriginal rights
• R. v. Martineau, [1990] 2 S.C.R. 633: requirements for murder conviction.
• R. v. Wholesale Travel Group Inc. [1991] : Requirements for Strict Liability offences
• R. v. Jobidon, [1991] :Defence of culpable homicide by means of consent
• R. v. Butler, [1992] 1 SCR 452
• R. v. Parks Template:Canlii-scc defence of automatism
• R. v. DeSousa [1992]: predicate offence charges, requirement for mens rea
• R. v. Hundal [1993]: Standard for Objective Fault.
• R. v. Creighton, [1993] 3 SCR 3: Objective Fault offences, major turning point in Criminal law.
• R. v. Daviault Template:Canlii-scc defence of intoxication
• R. v. Heywood Template:Canlii-scc Section Seven challenge, Overbreadth
• McKinney v. University of Guelph, [1995]: Case broadened the scope of the Charter, elaborated use of s.15.
• Egan v. Canada [1995] 2 S.C.R. 513: sexual orientation, ground of discrimination under the Charter.
• Hollis v. Dow Corning Corp. [1995] : Product liability
• RJR - MacDonald Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General) [1995] 3 S.C.R. 199 : tobacco, freedom of speech.
• Stewart v. Pettie [1995]: Duty of Care in social host liability
• R. v. Park [1995] 2 S.C.R. 836 : established the mistaken belief in consent defence
• Hill v. Church of Scientology of Toronto [1995] 2 S.C.R. 1130 : defamation not protected by the Charter.
• Provincial Judges Reference [1997] 3 S.C.R. 3 Reference re Remuneration of Provincial Court Judges
• R. v. R.D.S [1997] 3 S.C.R. 484 : judge's use of personal experiences in deciding cases.
• Delgamuukw v. British Columbia [1997] 3 S.C.R. 1010: existence of aboriginal title and right to self-government.
• Reference re Secession of Quebec [1998] 2 S.C.R. 217 : Quebec cannot unilaterally declare independence
• Vriend v. Alberta, [1998] 1 S.C.R. 493 : provincial governments cannot exclude sexual orientation from human rights codes.
• R. v. Godoy [1999] 1 S.C.R. 311: Rights against police entering private residence.
• Law v. Canada [1999] 1 S.C.R. 497 :Re-articulation of s.15 of the charter analysis with a focus on "human dignity".
• British Columbia (PSERC) v. BCGSEU [1999] 3 S.C.R. 3: Known as the Meiorin case, a unified test for Canadian Human Rights Act violations.
• R. v. Marshall [1999] 3 SCR 45 :aboriginal fishing rights.
• Corbiere v. Canada (Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs) [1999] 2 S.C.R. 203 : Equality rights, right to vote.

2000 – present

• R. v. Proulx [2000]: Evaluating sentences, conditional sentences.
• Lovelace v. Ontario [2000] 1 S.C.R. 950, Template:Canlii-scc: affirmative action
• R. v. Nette [2001]: Causation test for murder.
• R. v. Sharpe [2001] 1 S.C.R. 45: Freedom of speech
• R. v. Ruzic Template:Canlii-scc defence of duress
• Cooper v. Hobart [2001] Template:Canlii-scc: duty of care in torts
• Harvard College v. Canada (Commissioner of Patents) Template:Canlii-scc: Harvard mouse, bio-patents
• Nova Scotia (Attorney General) v. Walsh [2002]: common law couples not included in the Martial Property Act
• Théberge v. Galerie d'Art du Petit Champlain Inc. Template:Canlii-scc copyright
• Gosselin v. Quebec (Attorney General) [2002] 4 S.C.R. 429 Constitutional entitlement to social assistance.
• Chamberlain v. Surrey School District No. 36 [2002] 4 S.C.R. 710
• R. v. Malmo-Levine; R. v. Caine [2003] 3 S.C.R. 571 possession of marijuana Charter challenge
• R. v. Clay Template:Canlii-scc possession of marijuana Charter challenge (second)
• Canadian Foundation for Children, Youth and the Law v. Canada (A.G.) [2004], Template:Canlii-scc : spanking allowed under Charter
• CCH Canadian Ltd. v. Law Society of Canada [2004] 1 S.C.R. 39, Template:Canlii-scc: copyright infringment, fair dealing
• Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser 1 S.C.R. 902, Template:Canlii-scc: revisit issue of bio-patents
• Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada v. Canadian Assn. of Internet Providers [2004] Template:Canlii-scc: internet service providers as common carriers. Status of caches
• R. v. Mann Template:Canlii-scc : Limits of search and seizure
• Auton (Guardian ad litem of) v. British Columbia (Attorney General) [2004] Template:Canlii-scc: Non-core services medical services not guaranteed under Charter
• Reference re. Same-Sex Marriage [2004] Template:Canlii-scc: federal government may extend civil marriage to same-sex couples
• Chaoulli v. Quebec (Attorney General) Template:Canlii-scc: law banning private health insurance unconstitutional.

Not yet decided

• Childs v. Desormeaux: social host liability.

External links

• Supreme court decision summaries (http://www.mapleleafweb.com/scc/public3/index.html)
• entire judgments (http://www.canlii.org)