Date:
20060817
Dockets: A-265-06, A-286-06, A-287-06
Citation: 2006 FCA
282
Present
: THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PELLETIER
BETWEEN:
Aurélien Haché, Lucien
Chiasson, Sylvie Chiasson, Armand Fiset, Jeannot Guignard, Héliodore Aucoin,
Gildard Haché, Guy Haché, Rhéal Haché, Robert F. Haché, Greg Hinkley, Vincent
Jones, Solange Lanteigne, Jean-Pierre LeBouthillier, Rhéal H. Mallet, André
Mazerolle, Eddy Mazerolle, Albanie Noël, Alphé Noël, Serge C. Noël, Gilles
Noël, Joseph A. Noël, Lévi Noël, Lorenzo Noël, Martin Noël, Mathurin Noël,
Nicolas Noël, Onésime Noël, Paul Noël, Raymond Noël, Renald Noël, Robert Ross,
Bruno Roussel, Jean-Camille Roussel, Valmi Roussel, Donat Vinennau, Fernand
Vienneau, Rhéal Vienneau, Mathias Roussel, Serge Blanchard, Robert Boucher,
Elide Bulger, Jean-Gilles Chiasson, Roméo G. Cormier, Bernard Duguay, Thomas
Duguay, Donald Duguay, Edgar Ferron, Wilbert Godin, Aurèle Godin, Valois
Goupil, Euclide Guinard, Florent Guignard, Jacques E. Haché, Jean-Pierre Haché,
Robert G. Haché, Donald R. Haché, Ulysse Haché, Gaetan H. Haché, Gabriel Jean,
Jean-Victor Larocque, Dassisse Mallet, Delphis Mallet, Albert A. Noël, Gilles
A. Noël, Domitien Paulin, Sylvain Paulin, Alma Robichaud, Administrator of the
Estate of Jean-Pierre Robichaud, Sylva Haché, Mario Savoie, Les Pêcheries Jimmy
L. Ltée, Eric Gionet, Trustee of Allain O. Gionet, Les Produits Belle-Baie
ltée, Oliva Roussel, E. Gagnon et Fils ltée, Bernard Arsenault, Gérard
Cassivi, Jacques Collin, Raymond Collin, Robert Collin, Marc Couture, Les Crustacées
de Gaspé ltée, 2973-1288 Québec Inc., 2973‑0819 Québec Inc., Bruno
Duguay, Charles-Aimé Duguay, Alban Hautcoeur, Fernand Hautcoeur, Jean-Claude
Haucoeur, Robert Huard, Christian Lelièvre, Elphège Lelièvre, Jean-Élie
Lelièvre, Jules Lelièvre, Jean‑Marc Marcoux, Douglas McInnis, Roger
Pinel, Jean‑Marc Sweeny, Michel Turbide, Réal Turbide, Pêcheries Denise
Quinn Syvrais Inc., Steven Roussy, Geneviève Allain, Francis Parisé, Martial
LeBlanc, Daniel Desbois, Rolland Anglehart, Jacques Langis, Jean-Pierre Huard,
Claude Gionet, Carol Dugay, Denis Duguay, Paul Chevarie, Thérèse Vigneau,
Administrator of the Estate of Benoît Poirier, Denis Éloquin, Claude Poirier,
Henry-Fred Poirier, Robert Thériault and Raynald Vigneau
Appellants
and
Her Majesty the Queen in right
of Canada as represented by the
Department of
Fisheries and Oceans and the Department
of Human Resources and Development Canada
Respondent
Motion in writing decided without
appearance of the parties.
Order
delivered at Ottawa, Ontario, on
August
17, 2006.
REASONS
FOR ORDER BY: PELLETIER
J.A.
Date:
20060817
Dockets:
A-265-06, A-286-06, A-287-06
Citation: 2006 FCA 282
Present: THE
HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PELLETIER
ENTRE
:
Aurélien Haché, Lucien Chiasson, Sylvie
Chiasson, Armand Fiset, Jeannot Guignard, Héliodore Aucoin, Gildard Haché, Guy
Haché, Rhéal Haché, Robert F. Haché, Greg Hinkley, Vincent Jones, Solange
Lanteigne, Jean-Pierre LeBouthillier, Rhéal H. Mallet, André Mazerolle, Eddy
Mazerolle, Albanie Noël, Alphé Noël, Serge C. Noël, Gilles Noël, Joseph A.
Noël, Lévi Noël, Lorenzo Noël, Martin Noël, Mathurin Noël, Nicolas Noël,
Onésime Noël, Paul Noël, Raymond Noël, Renald Noël, Robert Ross, Bruno Roussel,
Jean-Camille Roussel, Valmi Roussel, Donat Vinennau, Fernand Vienneau, Rhéal
Vienneau, Mathias Roussel, Serge Blanchard, Robert Boucher, Elide Bulger,
Jean-Gilles Chiasson, Roméo G. Cormier, Bernard Duguay, Thomas Duguay, Donald
Duguay, Edgar Ferron, Wilbert Godin, Aurèle Godin, Valois Goupil, Euclide
Guinard, Florent Guignard, Jacques E. Haché, Jean-Pierre Haché, Robert G.
Haché, Donald R. Haché, Ulysse Haché, Gaetan H. Haché, Gabriel Jean, Jean‑Victor
Larocque, Dassisse Mallet, Delphis Mallet, Albert A. Noël, Gilles A. Noël,
Domitien Paulin, Sylvain Paulin, Alma Robichaud, Administrator of the Estate of
Jean-Pierre Robichaud, Sylva Haché, Mario Savoie, Les Pêcheries Jimmy L. Ltée,
Eric Gionet, Trustee of Allain O. Gionet, Les Produits Belle-Baie ltée, Oliva
Roussel, E. Gagnon et Fils ltée, Bernard Arsenault, Gérard Cassivi, Jacques
Collin, Raymond Collin, Robert Collin, Marc Couture, Les Crustacées de Gaspé
ltée, 2973-1288 Québec Inc., 2973-0819 Québec Inc., Bruno Duguay, Charles-Aimé
Duguay, Alban Hautcoeur, Fernand Hautcoeur, Jean-Claude Haucoeur, Robert
Huard, Christian Lelièvre, Elphège Lelièvre, Jean-Élie Lelièvre, Jules
Lelièvre, Jean‑Marc Marcoux, Douglas McInnis, Roger Pinel, Jean -Marc
Sweeny, Michel Turbide, Réal Turbide, Pêcheries Denise Quinn Syvrais Inc.,
Steven Roussy, Geneviève Allain, Francis Parisé, Martial LeBlanc, Daniel
Desbois, Rolland Anglehart, Jacques Langis, Jean-Pierre Huard, Claude Gionet,
Carol Dugay, Denis Duguay, Paul Chevarie, Thérèse Vigneau, Administrator of the
Estate of Benoît Poirier, Denis Éloquin, Claude Poirier, Henry-Fred Poirier,
Robert Thériault and Raynald Vigneau
Appellants
and
Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada
as represented by the Department of
Fisheries and Oceans and the Department
of Human Resources and Development Canada
Respondent
REASONS FOR
ORDER
PELLETIER
J.A.
[1]
The
appellants are appealing three decisions of the Federal Court dated June 19,
2006:
-
An
order dismissing the appellants’ action (A-287-06);
-
An
order dismissing the conflict of interest motion regarding the law firm of
Patterson Palmer (A-286-06);
-
An
order quashing the direction to attend for witness Douglas Young (A-265-06).
[2]
After
submitting the notice of appeal, the appellants filed a motion to join the
three proceedings and have them heard jointly or separately. Alternatively, the
appellants requested that the proceedings in A-286-06 and A-265-06 be stayed until the
Court renders its judgment in A‑287‑06, because the dismissal of
this appeal would render the proceedings in A-286-06 and A‑265-06 moot.
As an accessory measure, the appellants requested that the time limits
specified in section 343 of the Rules be extended until the Court rules on
the motion.
[3]
Her
Majesty the Queen consents to a stay of proceedings in A-286-06 and A-265-06
until the Court rules on A-287-06. She also consents to the extension of time
requested by the appellants, without costs, because she did not have the chance
to consent before the motion was served and filed.
[4]
Respondent
Douglas Young, who is only involved in the proceedings in A-265-06, consented
to the proceedings being joined and heard successively. Accordingly, he does
not have to take a position concerning the alternative remedy, the stay of
proceedings in A-286-06 and A-265-06, but he consented to the extension of time
pending the Court’s decision on the motion.
[5]
Although
the respondents state that they would agree to the order requested by the
appellants, they do not agree on the order to be made. Nevertheless, it is
obvious that they agree that the Court should deal with the motion
expeditiously.
[6]
The Court
cannot order a stay of the proceedings in A-286-06 and A-265-06 pending a
judgment in the main proceeding, A-287-06, because that would make A-286-06
moot. The appellants object to the fact that the law firm of Patterson Palmer
is representing Her Majesty the Queen, alleging a conflict of interest. Unless
the appellants discontinue their motion (and their appeal in A-286-06), this
matter must be decided before the main appeal; otherwise, the appeal in
A-286-06 will become moot, the lawyers from the law firm of Patterson Palmer
having pleaded the case on the merits in spite of the appellants’ objections.
[7]
Accordingly,
the three appeals must be heard in the following order: A-286-06, A-287-06 and
A-265-06. There does not seem to be any advantage in joining these three files.
Although the three appeals have a common procedural history, the issues raised
are distinct and are based on different facts.
[8]
The facts
giving rise to the allegation of conflict of interest do not depend on the
facts underlying the action and the main appeal. Likewise, the legal principles
invoked in the main appeal have nothing to do with the law concerning the
summoning of witnesses or with conflict of interest issues relating to lawyers.
It is sufficient for these proceedings to be heard successively before the same
Court panel.
[9]
Therefore,
it is not necessary to join these proceedings. However, the three cases will be
heard successively before the same Court panel in the following order:
A-286-06, A-287-06, A‑265‑06, without costs.
“J.D.
Denis Pelletier”
Certified
true translation
Michael
Palles
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