Docket No. 22637 Docket number 22,637 | Unanimous reasons by La Forest J. Ruling court Supreme Court of Canada | |
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Full case name 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 Co. Citations Hunt v. T&N plc, 1993 CanLII 43 (SCC), [1993] 4 SCR 289; 109 DLR (4th) 16; [1994] 1 WWR 129; 85 BCLR (2d) 1 Prior history APPEAL from a judgment of the British Columbia Court of Appeal Hunt v. Lac d'Amiante du Québec Ltée., 1991 CanLII 1035 (BC CA), (1991), 56 B.C.L.R. (2d) 365, 81 D.L.R. (4th) 763, [1991] 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. Hunt v. T & N, 1990 CanLII 1109 (BC SC), (1990), 43 B.C.L.R. (2d) 390, 67 D.L.R. (4th) 687, [1990] 3 W.W.R. 558, dismissing an application for an order compelling the production of documents. People also search for Morguard Investments Ltd v De Savoye | ||
Hunt v T&N plc, [1993] 4 S.C.R. 289 is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of Canada on conflict of laws. 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 Morguard Investments Ltd. v. De Savoye (1990) and further held that the principles first identified in Morguard are fundamental to the constitution.
Contents
Background
George Hunt, a resident of British Columbia, was diagnosed with cancer caused by the inhalation of asbestos 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 Business Concerns Records Act prohibited the removal of documents outside of the province. Hunt attempted to challenge the law as unconstitutional.
Hunt attempted to argue that Morguard - which allowed for inter-provincial enforcement of orders - could equally apply for constitutional challenges.
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, difficult or important point of law". On the contrary, it may well be critical that the action be allowed to proceed.
Reasons of the court
The Court allowed Hunt's appeal, in a unanimous decision written by La Forest J. He held that:
Provincial courts in the Canadian federation
The nature of the inherent jurisdiction of the provincial superior courts was greatly expanded in Hunt, as noted in the judgment:
The extension of Morguard
Hunt has attained great significance because of the manner in which it built upon the principles first expressed in Morguard. As noted by Laforest J: