S.C.C. File No. 35842 BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT OF CANADA (ON APPEAL FROM THE COURT OF APPEAL OF ALBERTA) BETWEEN: GILLES CARON APPELLANT (Appellant) - and- HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN RIGHT OF ALBERTA RESPONDENT (Respondent) - and- ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA, ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR SASKATCHEWAN, ALBERTA CATHOLIC SCHOOL TRUSTEES' ASSOCIATION, CONSEIL SCOLAIRE CENTRE-NORD NO. 2 AND DENIS LEFEBVRE, ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE-FRANÇAISE DE L'ALBERTA, COMMISSAIRE AUX LANGUES OFFICIELLES DU CANADA, ASSEMBLÉE COMMUNAUTAIRE FRANSASKOISE, MÉTIS NATIONAL COUNCIL, FÉDÉRATION DES ASSOCIATIONS DE JURISTES D'EXPRESSION FRANÇAISE DE COMMON LAW INC. INTERVENERS FACTUM OF THE RESPONDENT HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN RIGHT OF ALBERTA MCLENNAN ROSS LLP GOWLING LAFLEUR HENDERSON LLP Barristers and Solicitors Barristers and Solicitors 12220 Stony Plain Road N.W., Suite 600 160 Elgin Street, Suite 2600 Edmonton, AB T5N 3Y4 Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1C3 Telephone: (780) 482-9247 Telephone: (613) 786-8695 Facsimile: (780) 482-9101 Facsimile: (613) 788-3509 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Teresa R. Haykowsky D. Lynne Watt David D. Risling Ottawa Agents for Counsel for the Respondent, Peter P. Taschuk Her Majesty The Queen Counsel for the Respondent, Her Majesty The Queen (ii) MILLER THOMSON LLP JURISTES POWER Barristers and Solicitors Barristers and Solicitors 2103 – 11th Avenue, Suite 600 130 Albert Street, Suite 1103 Regina, SK S4P 3Z8 Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4 Telephone: (306) 347-8300 Telephone: (613) 702-5565 Facsimile: (306) 347-8350 Facsimile: 1-888-404-2227 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Roger J.F. Lepage Justin Dubois Francis Poulin Ottawa Agents for Counsel for the Appellant, Romain Baudemont Gilles Caron Counsel for the Appellant, Gilles Caron MINTZ LAW JURISTES POWER Barristers and Solicitors Barristers and Solicitors 10357 – 109th Street, Suite 400 130 Albert Street, Suite 1103 Edmonton, AB T5J 1N3 Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4 Telephone: (780) 969-3694 Telephone: (613) 702-5565 Facsimile: (780) 425-2195 Facsimile: 1-888-404-2227 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Allan Damer Justin Dubois Sébastien Grammond Ottawa Agents for Counsel for the Appellant, Mark Power Pierre Boutet François Larocque Counsel for the Appellant, Pierre Boutet ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA Civil Litigation Section 50 O’Connor Street, Suite 500 Ottawa, ON K1A 0H8 Telephone: (613) 670-6295 Facsimile: (613) 954-1920 Email: [email protected] Christopher M. Rupar Ottawa Agents for Counsel for the Intervener, Attorney General for Canada (iii) ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR SASKATCHEWAN GOWLING LAFLEUR HENDERSON LLP 1874 Scarth Street, Suite 820 Barristers and Solicitors Regina, SK S4P 4B3 160 Elgin Street, Suite 2600 Telephone: (306) 787-8385 Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1C3 Facsimile: (306) 787-9111 Telephone: (613) 786-8695 Email: [email protected] Facsimile: (613) 788-3509 Email: [email protected] Graeme G. Mitchell, Q.C. Counsel for the Intervener, D. Lynne Watt Attorney General for Saskatchewan Ottawa Agents for Counsel for the Intervener, Attorney General for Saskatchewan DENTONS CANADA LLP DENTON CANADA LLP Barristers and Solicitors Barristers and Solicitors 10180 - 101 Street, Suite 2900 99 Bank Street, Suite 1420 Edmonton, AB T5J 3V5 Ottawa, ON K1P 1H4 Telephone: (780) 423-7330 Telephone: (613) 783 9600 Facsimile: (780) 423-7276 Facsimile: (613) 783 9690 Email: [email protected] Kevin P. Feehan, Q.C. Anna Loparco K. Scott McLean Counsel for the Interveners, Counsel for the Interveners, Alberta Catholic School Trustees' Association, Alberta Catholic School Trustees' Association, Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord No. 2 and Denis Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord No. 2 and Denis Lefebvre Lefebvre JURISTES POWER JURISTES POWER Barristers and Solicitors Barristers and Solicitors 1199 West Hastings Street, 9th Floor 130 Albert Street, Suite 1103 Vancouver, BC V6E 3T5 Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4 Telephone: (604) 265-0340 Telephone: (613) 702-5565 Facsimile: (604) 265-0340 Facsimile: 1-888-404-2227 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Mark C. Power Justin Dubois Michel Doucet Ottawa Agents for Counsel for the Intervener, François Larocque Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta Counsel for the Intervener, Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta (iv) COMMISSARIAT AUX LANGUES OFFICIELLES DU CANADA 30 Victoria Street, 6th Floor Gatineau, QC K1A 0T8 Telephone: (819) 420-4864 Facsimile: (819) 420-4837 Email: [email protected] Kevin Shaar Counsel for the Intervener, Commissaire aux langues officielles du Canada MILLER THOMSON LLP JURISTES POWER Barristers and Solicitors Barristers and Solicitors 2103 – 11th Avenue, Suite 600 130 Albert Street, Suite 1103 Regina, SK S4P 3Z8 Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4 Telephone: (306) 347-8300 Telephone: (613) 702-5565 Facsimile: (306) 347-8350 Facsimile: 1-888-404-2227 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Roger J.F. Lepage Justin Dubois Francis Poulin Ottawa Agents for Counsel for the Intervener, Counsel for the Intervener, Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise JURISTES POWER Barristers and Solicitors 130 Albert Street, Suite 1103 Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4 Telephone: (613) 702-5565 Facsimile: 1-888-404-2227 Email: [email protected] Justin Dubois François Larocque Counsel for the Intervener, Métis National Council (v) NICOLAS M. ROULEAU JURISTES POWER Barrister and Solicitor Barristers and Solicitors 720 Brock Avenue 130 Albert Street, Suite 1103 Toronto, ON M6H 3P2 Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4 Telephone: (416) 885-1361 Telephone: (613) 702-5565 Facsimile: 1-888-850-1306 Facsimile: 1-888-404-2227 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Counsel for the Intervener, Justin Dubois Fédération des associations de juristes François Larocque d'expression française de common law inc. Ottawa Agent for Counsel for the Intervener, Fédération des associations de juristes d'expression française de common law inc. - i - TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PART I – STATEMENT OF FACTS ............................................................................. 1 A. Overview .................................................................................................................1 B. Alberta’s Position on Caron’s Statement of Facts .................................................. 4 C. Judicial History, and Points Relating to this Appeal ............................................... 5 1. The Trial Judgment .......................................................................................... 5 2. The Summary Conviction Appeal Decision .................................................... 5 3. The Alberta Court of Appeal ........................................................................... 5 4. Legislative Bilingualism ..................................................................................6 PART II - ALBERTA’S POSITION ON THE QUESTIONS AT ISSUE ................... 6 PART III – ARGUMENT ................................................................................................. 6 A. Prevailing Constitutional Norms of the Time ......................................................... 6 B. English and French Versions of the (pre-1982) Documents ................................... 7 C. Legislative History .................................................................................................. 7 D. Alberta Act, 1905 .................................................................................................... 15 E. The Proclamation had no Legal Effect .................................................................... 16 1. Section 146 of the BNA Act, 1867, and the Proclamation ............................... 16 2. The Proclamation was not Passed into law ...................................................... 17 3. Proclamations are Subordinate to Parliament .................................................. 17 4. Scope of the crown’s Royal Prerogative is Limited in Settled Colonies .......... 18 5. Proclamation Cannot Entrench Rights Beyond Parliament ............................. 20 6. Proclamation Not Made Under the Great Seal ................................................ 20 7. Absence of Official Authorization to Governor General of Canada ................ 20 8. Governor General of Canada as a Delegate of the Queen had Limited Prerogative Power ............................................................................................. 20 9. Proclamation did not Expressly Identify or Refer to a Duty to Publish ........... 21 10. Proclamation not Listed in Schedule B to the Constitution Act, 1982, nor the Relevant Legislation .................................................................................. 22 F. The 1867 Address ................................................................................................... 22 G. Statutory and Constitutional Interpretative Approaches ......................................... 22 H. Response to Caron’s Arguments ............................................................................ 23 - ii - 1. No Statutory Duty to Publish Local Laws in French and English in 1870 prior to Annexation ............................................................................................ 23 2. The End Result of the Negotiations was the Manitoba Act, 1870 .................... 26 3. Reference Re: Supreme Court Act, ss. 5 and 6 .................................................. 27 4. Implication of the Appellants’ Position