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R. v. Vrbanic

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SUPREME COURT OF CANADA
Citation: R. v. Vrbanic*			Appeal Heard and Judgment Rendered: December 4, 2025 Reasons for Judgment: to follow Docket: 41741
Between: His Majesty The King in Right of Canada Appellant and Robert Vrbanic and Sarah Josipovic Respondents - and - Attorney General of Ontario, Attorney General of Quebec, Attorney General of Manitoba, Attorney General of British Columbia, Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, Battered Women’s Support Services Association, Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Criminal Lawyers’ Association (Ontario) Interveners Coram: Wagner C.J. and Karakatsanis, Côté, Rowe, Martin, Kasirer, Jamal, O’Bonsawin and Moreau JJ.
Unanimous Judgment Read By: (para. 1)	Wagner C.J.
Counsel: Jennifer Conroy and Ian Bell, for the appellant. Jeff Marshman, Daniel Goldbloom and Alexa Klein, for the respondents. Jeremy Tatum, Akshay Aurora and Philippe Cowle, for the intervener Attorney General of Ontario. Sylvain Leboeuf and François Hénault, for the intervener Attorney General of Quebec. Joel N. Myskiw and Michael Bodner, for the intervener Attorney General of Manitoba. Lesley Ruzicka, K.C., and Mark Sheardown, for the intervener Attorney General of British Columbia. Xavier Lyonnais and Daphné Godin-Garito, for the intervener Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions. Caitlin Ohama-Darcus and Abbey Fortin, for the intervener Battered Women’s Support Services Association. Elaine Ahn, for the intervener Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. Frank Addario and Nikolas De Stefano, for the intervener Criminal Lawyers’ Association (Ontario).

Note: This document is subject to editorial revision before its reproduction in final form in the Canada Supreme Court Reports.

* Neutral citation to follow.

No. 41741

December 5, 2025		Le 5 décembre 2025

Coram: Wagner C.J. and Karakatsanis, Côté, Rowe, Martin, Kasirer, Jamal, O’Bonsawin and Moreau JJ.		Coram : Le juge en chef Wagner et les juges Karakatsanis, Côté, Rowe, Martin, Kasirer, Jamal, O’Bonsawin et Moreau

BETWEEN: His Majesty The King in Right of Canada Appellant - and - Robert Vrbanic and Sarah Josipovic Respondents - and - Attorney General of Ontario, Attorney General of Quebec, Attorney General of Manitoba, Attorney General of British Columbia, Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, Battered Women’s Support Services Association, Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Criminal Lawyers’ Association (Ontario) Interveners		ENTRE : Sa Majesté le Roi du chef du Canada Appelant - et - Robert Vrbanic et Sarah Josipovic Intimés - et - Procureur général de l’Ontario, procureur général du Québec, procureur général du Manitoba, procureur général de la Colombie-Britannique, directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales, Battered Women’s Support Services Association, Association canadienne des chefs de police et Criminal Lawyers’ Association (Ontario) Intervenants

JUDGMENT The appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, Number COA-23-CR-0524, 2025 ONCA 151, dated February 28, 2025, was heard on December 4, 2025, and the Court on that day delivered the following judgment orally: The Chief Justice — We are all of the view to allow the appeal, to set aside the order of a stay, and to remit this matter back for trial. Reasons to follow.		JUGEMENT L’appel interjeté contre l’arrêt de la Cour d’appel de l’Ontario, numéro COA-23-CR-0524, 2025 ONCA 151, daté du 28 février 2025, a été entendu le 4 décembre 2025 et la Cour a prononcé oralement le même jour le jugement suivant : [traduction] Le juge en chef — Nous sommes toutes et tous d’avis d’accueillir le pourvoi, d’annuler l’ordonnance d’arrêt des procédures et de renvoyer l’affaire à procès. Motifs à suivre.

C.J.C.

J.C.C.