R. v. Caron

2011 SCC 5 (Released February 4, 2011)

Constitutional Law – Interim Costs Awards – Inherent Jurisdiction of the Courts – Inferior Courts

Here the Supreme Court held that Superior Courts can make interim costs awards to fund public interest litigation in the inferior provincial courts.

In the underlying litigation, the Respondent Caron had challenged the constitutional validity of Alberta Provincial Court proceedings on the basis that the court documents were solely in English. Caron pleaded that the provisions of the Alberta Languages Act, which purported to abrogate French Language rights in order to...