Federal Court of Appeal Decisions

Decision Information

Decision Content

Date: 20020320

Docket: A-7-02

Neutral citation: 2002 FCA 111

Present:           DÉCARY J.A.

BETWEEN:

                                            THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA

                                                                                                                                                       Applicant

                                                                                 and

                                                   McNALLY CONSTRUCTION INC.

                                                  and ABCO INDUSTRIES LIMITED

                                                                                                                                               Respondents

                                           Dealt with in writing without appearance of parties.

                                    Order delivered at Montreal, Quebec, on March 20, 2002.

ORDER AND REASONS FOR ORDER BY:                                                                  DÉCARY J.A.


Date: 20020320

Docket: A-7-02

Neutral citation: 2002 FCA 111

Present:           DÉCARY J.A.

BETWEEN:

                                            THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA

                                                                                                                                                       Applicant

                                                                                 and

                                                   McNALLY CONSTRUCTION INC.

                                                  and ABCO INDUSTRIES LIMITED

                                                                                                                                               Respondents

                                               ORDER AND REASONS FOR ORDER

DÉCARY J.A.

[1]                 This motion to intervene is filed by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (the Tribunal) at the suggestion of the Court given the particular circumstances of the case.

[2]                 It is conceded by the applicant that the within application for judicial review is moot and that the respondents no longer have any interest in it.


[3]                 Counsel for the Attorney General has persuaded a panel of this Court (composed of Sexton and Evans JJ.A. and myself) that, in the exercise of its discretion (see Canada (Minister of Justice) v. Borowski, [1981] 2 S.C.R. 575), the Court should nevertheless hear and decide the application as expeditiously as possible, provided that someone appear to argue in opposition to the Attorney General. The suggestion was made that the Tribunal was in a position, exceptionally, to fill that role and the Tribunal has volunteered to do so. Hence, the Tribunal's motion to intervene.

[4]                 It is in the interest of the administration of justice that leave to intervene be given to the Tribunal in order to assist the Court in determining the relevant standard of review and to provide the Court with a perspective on the "shipbuilding and repair" issue that is different from that advanced by the Attorney General. It is understood that the intervention of the Tribunal is not for the purpose of defending its decision and that the intervention will not impeach the impartiality of the Tribunal.

[5]                 The Court has noted that there is no reference, in the material before it, to any documentation that might shed some light on the exclusion of "shipbuilding and repair" in the North American Free Trade Agreement and in the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement. Should there be any such documentation, the Court would expect the applicant and/or the Tribunal to file it with the written submissions.


[6]                 It is therefore ordered that:

1.          The Tribunal be granted leave to intervene in Federal Court of Appeal File No. A-7-02;

2.          The style of cause in any further proceeding include the Tribunal as intervener;

3.          The Tribunal be allowed to make written submissions not exceeding twenty pages to be served on the applicant and filed with the Court by March 27, 2002, and that the Tribunal be allowed to present oral argument at the hearing;

4.          The applicant, the Attorney General of Canada, be allowed to serve and file a reply to the Tribunal's written submissions by April 5, 2002;

5.          The hearing adjourned on March 13, 2002 be re-scheduled for April 17, 2002, at 2:30 p.m., for a duration not to exceed two hours, at Ottawa, Ontario.

                                                                                                                                           "Robert Décary"                    

                                                                                                                                                                  J.A.                               


                                                                                                

                                                                 FEDERAL COURT OF CANADA

                                                                              APPEAL DIVISION

Date: 20020320

Docket:    A-7-02

BETWEEN:

                                                         THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA

                                                                                                                                                                                 Applicant

                                                                                              and

                                                                McNALLY CONSTRUCTION INC.

                                                               and ABCO INDUSTRIES LIMITED

                                                                                                                                                                         Respondents

                                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                            ORDER AND REASONS FOR ORDER

                                                                                                                                                                                  


                                                                 FEDERAL COURT OF CANADA

                                                                              APPEAL DIVISION

                                           NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD

                                                                                                

DOCKET:                                      A-7-02

STYLE OF CAUSE:                    

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA

                                                                                                                                                                                 Applicant

                                                                                              and

                              McNALLY CONSTRUCTION INC. and ABCO INDUSTRIES LIMITED

                                                                                                                                                                         Respondents

DEALT WITH IN WRITING WITHOUT APPEARANCE OF PARTIES.

ORDER AND REASONS FOR ORDER BY DÉCARY J.A.

DATED:                                        March 20, 2002

WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS BY:

Ms. Anne Turley

FOR THE APPLICANT

Mr. Reagan Walker

Mr. John Dodsworth

FOR THE INTERVENER

Canadian International Trade Tribunal

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:

Morris Rosenberg

Deputy Attorney General of Canada

Ottawa, Ontario

FOR THE APPLICANT

Canadian International Trade Tribunal

Ottawa, Ontario

FOR THE INTERVENER

Canadian International Trade Tribunal

 You are being directed to the most recent version of the statute which may not be the version considered at the time of the judgment.