Factum of the Appellant, Joseph Peter Paul Groia
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S.C.C. Court File No.: 37112 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF CANADA (ON APPEAL FROM THE COURT OF APPEAL FOR ONTARIO) BETWEEN: JOSEPH PETER PAUL GROIA APPELLANT (Appellant) - and - THE LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA RESPONDENT (Respondent) -and- ATTORNEY GENERAL OF SASKATCHEWAN and DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS INTERVENERS FACTUM OF THE APPELLANT, JOSEPH PETER PAUL GROIA (Pursuant to Rule 42 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Canada) LERNERS LLP GOWLING WLG (CANADA) LLP Lawyers 2600 - 160 Elgin St 130 Adelaide St. West Box 466 Station D Suite 2400, P.O. Box 95 Ottawa, ON K1P 1C3 Toronto, ON M5H 3P5 Jeff Beedell Earl A. Cherniak, Q.C. Tel: 613.786.0171 Tel: 416.601.2350 Fax: 613.788.3587 Fax: 416.867.2402 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Counsel for the Appellant, Joseph Peter Paul Ottawa Agent for Counsel for the Appellant, Groia Joseph Peter Paul Groia TO: THE REGISTRAR Supreme Court of Canada 301 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0J1 AND TO: LENCZNER SLAGHT ROYCE SMITH DENTONS CANADA LLP GRIFFIN LLP Barristers and Solicitors Barristers 99 Bank Street, Suite 1420 130 Adelaide Street West Ottawa, ON KIP 1H4 Suite 2600 Toronto, ON M5H 3P5 David R. Elliott Corey A. Villeneuve (Law Clerk) J. Thomas Curry Tel: (613) 783-6366 Tel: 416.865-3096 Fax: (613) 783-9690 Fax: 416.865.9010 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Ottawa Agent to Counsel for the Jaan E. Lilles Respondent, The Law Society of Upper Tel: 416. 865-3552 Canada Fax: 416. 865.9010 E-mail: [email protected] Andrew Porter Tel: 416.865.3554 Fax: 416.865.9010 E-mail: [email protected] Counsel for the Respondent, Law Society of Upper Canada AND TO: Public Prosecution Service of Canada Public Prosecution Service of Canada 160 Elgin Street, 14th Floor 160 Elgin Street, 12th Floor Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H8 K1A 0H8 James D. Sutton François Lacasse Tel: 613.960.3922 Tel: 613.957.4770 Fax: 613.960.3717 Fax: 613.941.7865 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Counsel for the Intervener, Director of Public Ottawa Agent for the Intervener, Director of Prosecutions Public Prosecutions AND TO: Ministry of Justice and Attorney General GOWLING WLG (CANADA) LLP Government of Saskatchewan 160 Elgin St, 26th Floor 820-1874 Scarth Street Ottawa, ON K1P 1C3 Regina, SASK S4P 4B3 D. Lynne Watt Sharon H. Pratchler, Q.C. Tel: 613.786.0171 Tel: 306.787.5584 Fax: 613.788.3587 Fax: 306.787.9111 E-mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Ottawa Agent for Counsel for the Intervener, Counsel for the Intervener, Attorney General of Attorney General of Saskatchewan Saskatchewan TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE NO. PART I - OVERVIEW AND STATEMENT OF FACTS..............................................................1 A. INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................1 B. OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................3 C. FACTUAL BACKGROUND .............................................................................................6 (a) The Collapse of Bre-X Minerals Ltd.............................................................................6 (b) Phase I of the Felderhof Trial........................................................................................6 (c) The OSC’s Extraordinary Application..........................................................................9 (d) Ontario Court of Appeal on the Application...............................................................10 (e) Phase II of the Felderhof Trial ....................................................................................11 D. THE LSUC “INVESTIGATION” AND HEARINGS......................................................12 (a) The “Investigation” .....................................................................................................12 (b) The Hearing Panel Decision........................................................................................12 (c) The LSUC Appeal Panel.............................................................................................14 (i) The Appeal Panel’s New Test for Incivility............................................................16 (ii) Applying the Appeal Panel’s New Test in this case................................................17 (iii) The Acts of Misconduct ..........................................................................................17 E. THE COURTS...................................................................................................................19 (a) The Divisional Court...................................................................................................19 (b) The ONCA ..................................................................................................................20 (i) The Majority Decision.............................................................................................20 (ii) Justice D. M. Brown’s Dissent ................................................................................21 PART II - QUESTIONS IN ISSUE ..............................................................................................22 PART III - STATEMENT OF ARGUMENT ...............................................................................22 - ii - PAGE NO. A. What is the standard of review to be applied when reviewing a decision of a law society regarding whether or not the conduct of a lawyer in open court constitutes professional misconduct?...............................................................................................................................22 (a) The presumption of reasonableness has been rebutted ...............................................23 (b) Comparative institutional expertise.............................................................................26 (c) Conclusion...................................................................................................................26 B. When, if ever, can a law society discipline a lawyer for professional misconduct arising out of a lawyer’s submissions to a judge in open court, while acting for a client?...................27 (a) Zealous Advocacy.......................................................................................................28 (b) Freedom of expression of clients through their lawyers .............................................30 (c) Judicial Independence .................................................................................................32 (d) The ONCA majority test fails to protect the independence of the judiciary...............34 C. Was there Professional Misconduct in this case?..............................................................35 D. Conclusion.........................................................................................................................39 PART IV - SUBMISSION ON COSTS........................................................................................40 PART V - ORDER REQUESTED................................................................................................40 PART VI - TABLE OF AUTHORITIES/STATUTORY PROVISIONS ....................................41 APPENDIX – NOTICE OF CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION..................................................44 PART I - OVERVIEW AND STATEMENT OF FACTS “Part of the duty of the presiding judge is to maintain order in this arena of potential chaos. As a result, the trial judge is the person best placed to determine whether a barrister’s conduct is approaching or has crossed over the all-too-grey line that separates zealous advocacy from impermissible courtroom conduct. No person stands in a better position than the presiding judge to assess what a barrister says or does, the manner or tone in which it is said or done, its relevance to the dispute under adjudication, and the impact such conduct will have on the fairness of the trial, including the fairness of the process to its other participants. Counsel look to the presiding judge to draw the lines of fair conduct and to police their observance.”1 It has been ever thus. A. INTRODUCTION 1. This case concerns the foundational duties of lawyers to their clients when pleading their causes in Canadian courts. This Court’s decision will have a significant effect on all Canadians who need to retain a lawyer or paralegal to represent them in a court of law. Clients deserve and are constitutionally entitled to a fearless advocate who will mount a zealous defence or prosecution of their case, using broad freedom of expression rights, in a fair hearing, before an independent judge. That is how Joseph Peter Paul Groia (“Mr. Groia”) represented John Bernard Felderhof (“Mr. Felderhof”). For doing so he has been convicted of professional misconduct. If the conviction is allowed to stand, the public’s confidence in lawyers and the legal system will be severely damaged. 2. The four critical issues on this appeal are: (a) First, do the values expressed by Lord Brougham in his defence of Queen Caroline2 and cited with approval by Chief Justice McLachlin in Canadian National Railway Co. v. McKercher LLP3 and by Justice Binnie in R. v. Neil4 still apply in a Canadian courtroom? 1 Justice D.M. Brown, Groia v. The Law Society of Upper Canada, 2016 ONCA 471 [“ONCA Reasons”] para 418, Appellant’s Record, [“AR”], Vol. III, Tab 15, p. 159. 2 Lord Brougham stated: “An advocate