Crlmlnal law noLes 20112012

1 Sources of crlmlnal law

(a) Sec 8 AppllcaLlon Lo LerrlLorles / appllcaLlon of crlmlnal of Lngland/ common law prlnclple conLlnued See page 32 of
marLln crlmlnal code
1hls secLlon explalns where wlLhln Canada Lhe crlmlnal code applles and lLs relaLlonshlp Lo common law Crlmlnal code applled
LhroughouL Canada expecLs LhaL ln ?ukon norLhwesL 1errlLorles and nunavuL lL has no effecL lf lL ls lnconslsLence wlLh acLs
creaLlng Lhose [urlsdlcLlons lL permlLs Lngllsh crlmlnal law whlch was ln force before crlmlnal code come ln Lo force excepL as
changed by Lhe crlmlnal code or oLher federal leglslaLlon under Lhls reLalns all common law defences excuses and
[usLlflcaLlon excepL as alLered by or Lo Lhe exLenL LhaL Lhey are lnconslsLenL wlLh Lhe crlmlnal code or oLher federal
enacLmenLs lL ls under Lhls provlslon LhaL defences such as necesslLy due dlllgence lnLoxlcaLlon mlsLake of facL and
enLrapmenL has remalned an uncodlfled parL of our crlmlnal law Many defences and excuses of general appllcaLlon have been
codlfled as follows obedlence Lo de facLo law lnsanlLy compulslon by LhreaLs lgnorance of law ls no excuse use of force ln
admlnlsLraLlon or enforcemenL of law use of force Lo prevenL commlsslon of offence execuLlon of warranL deLenLlon and
arresL for breach of peace use of force Lo suppress rloL lnLoxlcaLlon defence Lo properLy correcLlon of chlld use of force by
shlp masLer reasonable surglcal operaLlon klenapple defence double [eopardy res [udlcaLa lssue esLoppel pleas of auLrefols
abuse of process mlsLake of facL or law

k v Iob|don (1991) 2 SCk 714 under Sec8 (3) courLs may look Lo preexlsLlng common law rules and prlnclples Lo glve
meanlng Lo explaln Lhe ouLllnes and boundarles of an exlsLlng defence or [usLlflcaLlon Lo lndlcaLe where Lhey wlll noL be held
legally effecLlve provlded Lhere ls no clear language ln Lhe code Lo lndlcaLe lLs dlsplacemenL of common law
Iacts !obldon flghLs a man named Paggard ouLslde a pub a hlLs hlm wlLh such a force LhaL Paggard was knocked unconsclous
!obldon conLlnues Lo hlL hlm ln Lhe head Paggard dles Paggard has consenLed Lo Lhe flghL
Area of Law Sources of Crlmlnal Law / Sec 8 of crlmlnal code
r|nc|p|e of Law
1 under s8 (3) of CC courLs may look Lo preexlsLlng common law rules and prlnclples Lo glve meanlng Lo and explaln Lhe
ouLllnes and boundarles of an exlsLlng defence or [usLlflcaLlon Lo lndlcaLe where Lhey wlll noL be held legally effecLlve
provlded Lhere ls no clear language ln Lhe Code Lo lndlcaLe lLs dlsplacemenL of Lhe common law
2 ls a leadlng Supreme CourL of Canada declslon where Lhe CourL held LhaL consenL cannoL be used as a defence for a crlmlnal
acL such as assaulL whlch may cause serlous hurL or nonLrlvlal bodlly harm
3 ConsenL would be a valld defence where Lhe harm was Lrlvlal or where lL ls parL of a soclally valuable acLlvlLy such as sporLs
e|d An accused cannoL rely on a defence of consenL for causlng serlous hurL or nonLrlvlal bodlly harm

CLher cases 8 v klrzner(1977)1C8(3d)138 subsecLlon 3 should noL consLrued as freezlng Lhe power of Lhe courLs Lo
recognlze such new defences as Lhey may Lhlnk proper Lhus enlarglng upon Lhe common law

Abuse of process 8 v power(1994) r v keyowskl(1989) r v Conway(1989) 8 v C'Connor(1994)
AuLomaLlsm 8 v parks (1992) r v haslam(1990) r v mayers(1979) r v beger(1973) r v sLone(1999)2
SC8290
urunkenness
uue ulllgence

8 v chapln (1979) r v clLy of saulL sLe Marle(1978)2 SC81299 r v wholesale Lravel group
lnc (1991)3 SC8134
LnLrapmenL defence 8 v mack(1988)2 SC8 903 r v barnes(1991)1 SC8449
necesslLy 8 v MorgenLaler(1976)1 SC8 616 8 v perks(1984)2 SC8 232
lnLoxlcaLlon 8 v davlaulL(1994)3 SC863 u v beard(1920)ac 479 r v roblnson(1996)1 SC8683 r v
McMasLer(1996)1 SC8 740


Sec 9 Crlmlnal offences Lo be under law of Canada See Sec 9 of marLln crlmlnal code aL page 32
1hls secLlon prohlblLs prosecuLlon for common law offences offences under 8rlLlsh law or Lhe law ln force ln Lhe provlnces
before Lhey [olned Canada 1he only excepL ls Lhe reLenLlon of common law power of [udges Lo punlsh for conLempL of courL
1he common law offence of conLempL of courL can be dlvlded lnLo Lwo board caLegorles of clvll and crlmlnal 1he former lles
essenLlally ln dlsobeylng Lhe order of a courL or a [udgmenL ln clvll proceedlngs Lven dlsobedlence of clvll [udgmenL can
amounL Lo crlmlnal conLempL lf Lhe conducL of Lhe accused ln dlsobeylng Lhe order amounLs Lo a publlc challenge Lo Lhe courLs
auLhorlLy ln general crlmlnal conLempL can be descrlbed as conducL llkely Lo obsLrucL Lhe admlnlsLraLlon of [usLlce or Lo brlng
dlscredlL onLo Lhe admlnlsLraLlon of [usLlce As a common law crlme conLempL of courL suffers from lack of clarlLy of deflnlLlon
of procedure and of Lhe elemenLs of Lhe offence Crlmlnal conLempL can be sub dlvlded lnLo Lwo Lypes conLempL on Lhe face
of courL( ln facle) for example dlsrupLlon of courL proceedlngs ln Lhe courL room fallure of counsel Lo aLLend Lhe courL as
requlred refusal of wlLness Lo be sworn or Lo answer quesLlons and conLempL ouL of Lhe face of Lhe courL 1he mosL
Lroublesome aspecL of crlmlnal conLempL ls conLempL ouL of Lhe face of courL lL lnvolves essenLlally Lhree dlfferenL Lype's
conducLs 1) breach of sub [udlce rule 2) obsLrucLlon of [usLlce 3) scandallzlng Lhe courL
Irey v Iedoruk (19S0) SCk S17
Iacts Lhls ls a declslon by Lhe Supreme CourL of Canada on Lhe deflnlLlon of a breach of Lhe peace and wheLher
belng a peeplng Lom ls a crlme
AL Lhe Llme peeplng was noL speclflcally prohlblLed Allegedly Lhe appellanL lrey had lefL hls Lruck Lo look lnLo a
wlndow of a house aL 1113 M A woman saw hlm looklng ln and shouLed and her adulL son Look a buLcher knlfe
and wenL ouLslde Pe chased lrey caughL hlm and called Lhe pollce 1he pollce seelng fooLprlnLs near Lhe house
arresLed lrey lrey also alleged Lhe pollce consLable aLLacked hlm alLhough ln courL lrey malnly foughL hls arresL
as false lmprlsonmenL
1

Area of Law Sources of Lhe Crlmlnal Law
r|nc|pa| of Law many rules of crlmlnal procedure are creaLed ln Lhe Crlmlnal Code and many oLher rules are
common law based breach of Lhe peace ls noL lLself a crlmlnal offence"
SLones arresL done wlLhouL an arresL warranL could noL be [usLlfled under Lhe Crlmlnal Code of Canada 1he
Crlmlnal Code could noL proLecL an offlcers wrong oplnlon LhaL someLhlng LhaL ls noL an offence ls an offence
e|d lmprlsonmenL ln Lhls case falled Lo be [usLlfled slnce peeplng was noL a recognlzed crlme
CLher cases
1lmes newspapers case (1974) breach of Lhe sub [udlce rule
8CCLu v 8rlLlsh Columbla (1988) 2 SC8 214 obsLrucLlon of [usLlce
8 v Murphy (1969) 4 CCC 147 8 v uuncan (1938) SC8 41 Scandallzlng Lhe courL
8 v Carocchla (1973) 13 CCC(2d) 173 publlclLy case
8 v hlll ( 1976) 33 CCC (2d) 60 counsel's fallure Lo aLLend courL


















lrey v ledoruk
Iacts
ls a declslon by Lhe Supreme CourL of Canada on Lhe deflnlLlon of a breach of Lhe peace and wheLher belng a
peeplng Lom ls a crlme
AL Lhe Llme peeplng was noL speclflcally prohlblLed Allegedly Lhe appellanL lrey had lefL hls Lruck Lo look lnLo a
wlndow of a house aL 1113 M A woman saw hlm looklng ln and shouLed and her adulL son Look a buLcher knlfe
and wenL ouLslde Pe chased lrey caughL hlm and called Lhe pollce 1he pollce seelng fooLprlnLs near Lhe house
arresLed lrey lrey also alleged Lhe pollce consLable aLLacked hlm alLhough ln courL lrey malnly foughL hls arresL
as false lmprlsonmenL
1

Area of Law Sources of Lhe Crlmlnal Law
r|nc|pa| of Law many rules of crlmlnal procedure are creaLed ln Lhe Crlmlnal Code and many oLher rules are
common law based breach of Lhe peace ls noL lLself a crlmlnal offence"
SLones arresL done wlLhouL an arresL warranL could noL be [usLlfled under Lhe Crlmlnal Code of
Canada 1he Crlmlnal Code could noL proLecL an offlcers wrong oplnlon LhaL someLhlng LhaL ls noL an offence ls an
offence
e|d lmprlsonmenL ln Lhls case falled Lo be [usLlfled slnce peeplng was noL a recognlzed crlme