R. v. Pasini, [1992] 1 SCR 1017

R. v. Pasini, [1992] 1 S.C.R. 1017

 

Claude Laberge                                                                                 Appellant

 

v.

 

Her Majesty The Queen                                                                   Respondent

 

and between

 

André Dufresne                                                                                 Appellant

 

v.

 

Her Majesty The Queen                                                                   Respondent

 

and between

 

Jacques Côté and Pierre Côté                                                          Appellants

 

v.

 

Her Majesty The Queen                                                                   Respondent

 

and between

 

Robert Lavigne, Serge Joly

and Pierre Joly                                                                                   Appellants

 

v.

 

Her Majesty The Queen                                                                   Respondent

 

and between

 

Marie‑France Pasini and Benoît Ratté                                            Appellants

 

v.

 

Her Majesty The Queen                                                                   Respondent

 

and between

 

Gilbert Wasser            Appellant

 

v.

 

Her Majesty The Queen                                                                   Respondent

 

and between

 

Michel Juneau             Appellant

 

v.

 

 

Her Majesty The Queen                                                                   Respondent

 

and between

 

Gérard Deslongchamps                                                                     Appellant

 

v.

 

Her Majesty The Queen                                                                   Respondent

 

Indexed as:  R. v. Pasini

 

File Nos.:  22356, 22357, 22360, 22361, 22363, 22364, 22666 and 22730.

 

1992:  April 29.

 

Present:  La Forest, L'Heureux‑Dubé, Sopinka, Gonthier, McLachlin, Stevenson and Iacobucci JJ.

 

on appeal from the court of appeal for quebec

 

                   Constitutional law ‑‑ Charter of Rights  ‑‑ Trial within a reasonable time ‑‑ Stays of proceedings ordered by Superior Court judge quashed.

 

                   APPEALS from a judgment of the Quebec Court of Appeal, [1991] R.J.Q. 669, 63 C.C.C. (3d) 436, 4 C.R. (4th) 188, allowing the Crown's appeal and quashing the stays of proceedings ordered by the Superior Court, R.J.P.Q. 88‑151.  Appeals dismissed.

 

                   Jean‑Claude Hébert, for the appellant Laberge.

 

                   Sophie Bourque, for the appellant Dufresne.

 

                   Bernard Lamarche, for the appellants Côté, Juneau, Ratté and Deslongchamps.

 

                   Danielle Roy, for the appellants Lavigne and Joly.

 

                   Sylvain De Lagrave, for the appellant Pasini.

 

                   Alain Régnier, for the appellant Wasser.

 

                   Michel Denis, for the respondent.

 

//La Forest//

 

                   English version of the judgment of the Court delivered orally by

 

                   La Forest J. ‑‑ It will not be necessary to hear from you Mr. Denis.  The Court is ready to hand down judgment.  The judgment will be pronounced by Mr. Justice Gonthier.

 

                   Gonthier J. -- These are appeals as of right from a decision of the Quebec Court of Appeal quashing stays of proceedings on grounds of unreasonable delay ordered by Tannenbaum J.  We are all in agreement with the Court of Appeal's conclusion that in the exceptional circumstances of this case it was open to the prosecution to exercise its discretion to declare a stay of proceedings by way of nolle prosequi and that there were no grounds for the stay of proceedings ordered by Tannenbaum J.

 

                   Accordingly, the appeals are dismissed.

 

                   Judgment accordingly.

 

                   Solicitors for the appellants Laberge and Dufresne:  Hébert, Bourque, Montréal.

 

                   Solicitors for the appellants Côté, Ratté and Juneau:  Barrière, Côté, Girard, Lamarche, Pinard & Rumanek, Montréal.

 

                   Solicitor for the appellants Lavigne and Joly:  Danielle Roy, Montréal.

 

                   Solicitor for the appellant Pasini:  Sylvain De Lagrave, Montréal.

 

                   Solicitor for the appellant Wasser:  Alain Régnier, Montréal.

 

                   Solicitors for the appellant Deslongchamps:  Melançon, Bertrand & Associés, Laval.

 

                   Solicitor for the respondent:  Michel Denis, Montréal.