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31755

Privacy Commissioner of Canada v. Blood Tribe Department of Health

(Federal) (Civil) (By Leave)

Docket

Judgments on applications for leave to appeal are rendered by the Court, but are not necessarily unanimous.

List of proceedings
Date Proceeding Filed By
(if applicable)
2008-07-22 Appeal closed
2008-07-18 Formal judgment sent to the registrar of the court of appeal and all parties
2008-07-18 Judgment on appeal and notice of deposit of judgment sent to all parties
2008-07-17 Judgment on the appeal rendered, CJ Bi De F Abe Cha Ro, The appeal from the judgment of the Federal Court of Appeal, Number A-147-05, 2006 FCA 334, dated October 18, 2006, heard on February 21, 2008, is dismissed with costs in this Court.
Dismissed, costs in this Court only
2008-03-10 Transcript received, (94 pages)
2008-02-21 Judgment reserved OR rendered with reasons to follow
2008-02-21 Intervener's condensed book, Submitted in Court (14 copies) Advocates' Society
2008-02-21 Intervener's condensed book, Submitted in Court (14 copies) Federation of Law Societies of Canada
2008-02-21 Intervener's condensed book, Submitted in Court (14 copies) New Brunswick Office of the Ombudsman
2008-02-21 Intervener's condensed book, Submitted in Court (14 copies) Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta
2008-02-21 Intervener's condensed book, Submitted in Court (14 copies) Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia
2008-02-21 Respondent's condensed book, Submitted in Court (14 copies) Blood Tribe Department of Health
2008-02-21 Appellant's condensed book, Submitted in Court (14 copies) Privacy Commissioner of Canada
2008-02-21 Acknowledgement and consent for video taping of proceedings, From all parties
2008-02-21 Hearing of the appeal, 2008-02-21, CJ Bi De F Abe Cha Ro
Judgment reserved
2008-02-18 Correspondence received from, Steven Welchner dated Feb. 18, 2008. Re: Will be filing a condensed book Privacy Commissioner of Canada
2008-02-11 General proceeding, Additional authority McKinney v. University of Guelph (14 copies) Blood Tribe Department of Health
2008-02-08 Correspondence received from, Borden Ladner Gervais re: BCIPC and ONIPC have different counsel, changed made to parties info Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia
2008-02-08 Notice of appearance, Daniel Brunet, Marlys Edwardh and Diane Therrien will be present at the hearing. Information Commissioner of Canada
2008-02-08 Notice of appearance, Benjamin Zarnett and Julie Rosenthal will be present at the hearing. Advocates' Society
2008-02-07 Notice of appearance, Christopher Rupar will be present at the hearing. Attorney General of Canada
2008-02-06 Notice of appearance, William Challis, Stephen McCammon and Susan Ross will be present at the hearing. Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia
2008-02-06 Notice of appearance, Gary Befus, Ken McLeod and Eugene Creighton will be present at the hearing. Blood Tribe Department of Health
2008-02-04 Notice of appearance, Christian Whalen will be present at the hearing. New Brunswick Office of the Ombudsman
2008-02-04 Notice of appearance, Ritu Khullar and Vanessa Cosco will be present at the hearing. Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta
2008-01-29 Notice of appearance, Bruce MacIntosh, Garner Groome and Angus Gibbon will be present at the hearing. Federation of Law Societies of Canada
2008-01-17 Order by, Ba, FURTHER TO THE ORDER dated November 1, 2007, in which Bastarache J. granted leave to intervene to the Attorney General of Canada, the Information Commissioner of Canada, the Information and Privacy Commissioner for the Province of British Columbia and the Information and Privacy Commissioner for the Province of Ontario, the New Brunswick Office of the Ombudsman, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta, the Canadian Bar Association, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and the Advocates Society;
IT IS HEREBY FURTHER ORDERED THAT the said interveners are each granted permission to present oral argument not exceeding ten (10) minutes at the hearing of the appeal.
Granted
2008-01-14 Notice of appearance, Mahmud Jamal and Craig Lockwood will be present at the hearing. Canadian Bar Association
2008-01-14 Intervener's book of authorities, Completed on: 2008-01-14 Advocates' Society
2008-01-14 Intervener's factum, Completed on: 2008-01-14 Advocates' Society
2008-01-14 Intervener's book of authorities, Completed on: 2008-01-14 Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia
2008-01-14 Intervener's factum, (joint), Completed on: 2008-01-14 Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia
2008-01-14 Intervener's book of authorities, Completed on: 2008-01-14 Information Commissioner of Canada
2008-01-14 Intervener's factum, Completed on: 2008-01-14 Information Commissioner of Canada
2008-01-14 Correspondence received from, Mr. Jamal re: request for oral arguments Canadian Bar Association
2008-01-11 Intervener's book of authorities, (service rec'd Jan. 14/08), Completed on: 2008-01-14 Federation of Law Societies of Canada
2008-01-11 Intervener's factum, (service rec'd Jan. 14/08), Completed on: 2008-01-14 Federation of Law Societies of Canada
2008-01-11 Intervener's book of authorities, Completed on: 2008-01-11 Canadian Bar Association
2008-01-11 Intervener's factum, Completed on: 2008-01-14 Canadian Bar Association
2008-01-10 Intervener's book of authorities, Completed on: 2008-01-10 Attorney General of Canada
2008-01-10 Intervener's factum, Completed on: 2008-01-14 Attorney General of Canada
2008-01-10 Intervener's book of authorities, Completed on: 2008-01-10 New Brunswick Office of the Ombudsman
2008-01-10 Intervener's factum, Completed on: 2008-01-14 New Brunswick Office of the Ombudsman
2008-01-09 Intervener's book of authorities, (Vol. I to IV), Completed on: 2008-01-09 Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta
2008-01-09 Intervener's factum, Completed on: 2008-01-09 Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta
2008-01-02 Notice of appearance, Steven Welchner & Patricia Kosseim will be present at the hearing Privacy Commissioner of Canada
2007-12-05 Notice of hearing sent to parties
2007-12-05 Appeal hearing scheduled, 2008-02-21
Judgment reserved
2007-11-01 Letter sent to Intervener(s)
2007-11-01 Order on motion for leave to intervene
2007-11-01 Decision on the motion for leave to intervene, Ba, The motion for leave to intervene of the applicant, the Attorney General of Canada, is granted and the applicant shall be entitled to serve and file a factum not to exceed 20 pages in length.
The motion for leave to intervene of the applicant, the Information Commissioner of Canada, is granted and the applicant shall be entitled to serve and file a factum not to exceed 20 pages.
The motion for leave to intervene of the applicant, the Information and Privacy Commissioner for the Province of British Columbia and the Information and Privacy Commissioner for the Province of Ontario, is granted and the applicant shall be entitled to serve and file a single joint factum not to exceed 20 pages in length.
The motion for leave to intervene of the applicant, the New Brunswick Office of the Ombudsman, is granted and the applicant shall be entitled to serve and file a factum not to exceed 20 pages in length.
The motion for leave to intervene of the applicant, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta, is granted and the applicant shall be entitled to serve and file a factum not to exceed 20 pages in length.
The motion for leave to intervene of the applicant, the Canadian Bar Association, is granted and the applicant shall be entitled to serve and file a factum not to exceed 20 pages.
The motion for leave to intervene of the applicant, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, is granted and the applicant shall be entitled to serve and file a factum not to exceed 20 pages.
The motion for leave to intervene of the applicant, the Advocates Society, is granted and the applicant shall be entitled to serve and file a factum not to exceed 20 pages in length.
To the extent that the interests are similar, interveners shall consult to avoid repetition.
The requests to present oral argument are deferred to a date following receipt and consideration of the written arguments of the parties and the interveners.
The interveners shall not be entitled to raise new issues or to adduce further evidence or otherwise to supplement the record of the parties.
Pursuant to Rule 59(1)(a) of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Canada, the interveners shall pay to the appellant and respondent any additional disbursements occasioned to the appellant and respondent by their intervention.
Granted
2007-11-01 Submission of motion for leave to intervene, Ba
2007-10-17 Respondent's book of authorities, Completed on: 2007-10-17 Blood Tribe Department of Health
2007-10-17 Respondent's factum, Completed on: 2007-10-17 Blood Tribe Department of Health
2007-09-13 Appeal perfected for hearing
2007-08-27 Response to the motion for leave to intervene, (Letter Form), (will not be responding to the motions to intervene), Completed on: 2007-08-27 Blood Tribe Department of Health
2007-08-24 Response to the motion for leave to intervene, (Letter Form), will not be filing any responses to the motions for leave to intervene, Completed on: 2007-08-24 Privacy Commissioner of Canada
2007-08-16 Motion for leave to intervene, Completed on: 2007-08-16 Canadian Bar Association
2007-08-16 Motion for leave to intervene, Completed on: 2007-08-16 Advocates' Society
2007-08-16 Motion for leave to intervene, (request to file a joint factum of 30 pages and 20 min. for argument - 2nd affidat David Loukidelis), Completed on: 2007-08-16 Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia
2007-08-16 Motion for leave to intervene, (no time for oral arguments requested), Completed on: 2007-08-16 New Brunswick Office of the Ombudsman
2007-08-16 Motion for leave to intervene, Completed on: 2007-08-16 Information Commissioner of Canada
2007-08-16 Motion for leave to intervene, Completed on: 2007-08-16 Federation of Law Societies of Canada
2007-08-16 Motion for leave to intervene, Completed on: 2007-08-16 Attorney General of Canada
2007-08-15 Motion for leave to intervene, Completed on: 2007-08-15 Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta
2007-07-30 Order on motion to extend time
2007-07-30 Decision on motion to extend time, Reg, to serve and file the respondent's record, factum and book of authorities to October 17/07
Granted
2007-07-30 Submission of motion to extend time, Reg
2007-07-24 Response to motion to extend time, Completed on: 2007-07-24 Privacy Commissioner of Canada
2007-07-24 Motion to extend time, to file the respondent's factum, record and boook of authorities to Oct. 17/07, Completed on: 2007-07-24 Blood Tribe Department of Health
2007-07-19 Appellant's book of authorities, Completed on: 2007-07-19 Privacy Commissioner of Canada
2007-07-19 Appellant's record, Completed on: 2007-07-19 Privacy Commissioner of Canada
2007-07-19 Appellant's factum, Completed on: 2007-07-19 Privacy Commissioner of Canada
2007-05-03 Correspondence received from, Welchner Law Office dated May 3/07 re: Leave to Intervene should be expected (rec'd by fax) Privacy Commissioner of Canada
2007-04-27 Correspondence received from, Walsh Wilkins Creighton re: we should expect leave to intervene in this case (rec'd by fax - original rec'd May 4/07) Blood Tribe Department of Health
2007-04-27 Notice of appeal, Completed on: 2007-04-27 Privacy Commissioner of Canada
2007-04-17 Letter advising the parties of tentative hearing date and filing deadlines (Leave granted)
2007-04-02 Copy of formal judgment sent to Registrar of the Court of Appeal and all parties
2007-04-02 Judgment on leave sent to the parties
2007-03-29 Judgment of the Court on the application for leave to appeal, The application for leave to appeal from the judgment of the Federal Court of Appeal, Number A-147-05, 2006 FCA 334, dated October 18, 2006, is granted.
Granted
2007-02-19 All materials on application for leave submitted to the Judges, Bi De Abe
2007-02-01 Applicant's reply to respondent's argument, Completed on: 2007-02-01 Privacy Commissioner of Canada
2007-01-25 Respondent's response on the application for leave to appeal, Completed on: 2007-01-25 Blood Tribe Department of Health
2006-12-19 Letter acknowledging receipt of a complete application for leave to appeal
2006-12-13 Book of authorities Privacy Commissioner of Canada
2006-12-13 Application for leave to appeal, Completed on: 2006-12-13 Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Parties

Please note that in the case of closed files, the “Status” column reflects the status of the parties at the time of the proceedings. For more information about the proceedings and about the dates when the file was open, please consult the docket of the case in question.

Main parties

Main parties - Appellants
Name Role Status
Privacy Commissioner of Canada Appellant Active

v.

Main parties - Respondents
Name Role Status
Blood Tribe Department of Health Respondent Active

Other parties

Other parties
Name Role Status
Attorney General of Canada Intervener Active
Federation of Law Societies of Canada Intervener Active
Information Commissioner of Canada Intervener Active
New Brunswick Office of the Ombudsman Intervener Active
Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia Intervener Active
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario Intervener Active
Advocates' Society Intervener Active
Canadian Bar Association Intervener Active
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta Intervener Active

Counsel

Party: Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Counsel
Names
Steven Welchner
Patricia Kosseim
Contact information
Welchner Law Office
6274 Elkwood Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K4P 1M9
Telephone: (613) 821-6100
FAX: (866) 234-3659
Email: steven@welchnerlaw.ca

Party: Blood Tribe Department of Health

Counsel
Names
Gary Befus
Ken McLeod
Eugene Creighton, Q.C.
Contact information
Walsh Wilkins Creighton LLP
2800, 801 - 6th Avenue South West
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 4A3
Telephone: (403) 267-8474
FAX: (403) 264-9400
Agent
Name
Jeffrey W. Beedell
Contact information
Lang Michener LLP
300 - 50 O'Connor Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 6L2
Telephone: (613) 232-7171
FAX: (613) 231-3191
Email: jbeedell@langmichener.ca

Party: Attorney General of Canada

Counsel
Name
Christopher M. Rupar
Contact information
Attorney General of Canada
Bank of Canada Building - East Tower
234 Wellington Street, Room 1212
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H8
Telephone: (613) 941-2351
FAX: (613) 954-1920
Email: christopher.rupar@justice.gc.ca

Party: Federation of Law Societies of Canada

Counsel
Names
Bruce T. MacIntosh, Q.C.
Angus Gibbon
Garner A. Groome
Contact information
MacIntosh, MacDonnell & MacDonald
260 - 610 East River Road
P.O. Box 368 - Stn Main
New Glascow, Nova Scotia
B2H 5E5
Telephone: (902) 752-8441
FAX: (902) 752-7810
Email: bmacintosh@macmacmac.ns.ca
Agent
Name
Henry S. Brown, Q.C.
Contact information
Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP
2600 - 160 Elgin St
P.O. Box 466, Stn "D"
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 1C3
Telephone: (613) 233-1781
FAX: (613) 788-3433
Email: henry.brown@gowlings.com

Party: Information Commissioner of Canada

Counsel
Names
Daniel Brunet
Diane Therrien
Marlys Edwardh
Contact information
Information Commissioner of Canada
Place de Ville - Tower B
112 Kent Street, 22nd Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1H3
Telephone: (613) 943-2411
FAX: (613) 947-5252

Party: New Brunswick Office of the Ombudsman

Counsel
Name
Christian R.C. Whalen
Contact information
The New Brunswick Office of the Ombudsman
548 York Street
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3B 5H1
Telephone: (506) 444-4795
FAX: (506) 453-5599
Email: christian.r.whalen@gnb.ca
Agent
Name
Fiona Campbell
Contact information
Sack Goldblatt Mitchell LLP
500 - 30 Metcalfe Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 5L4
Telephone: (613) 235-5327 Ext: 2451
FAX: (613) 235-3041
Email: fionacampbell@sgmlaw.com

Party: Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia

Counsel
Name
Susan E. Ross
Contact information
417 - 645 Fort Street
Victoria, British Columbia
V8W 1G2
Telephone: (250) 480-7477
FAX: (250) 480-7488
Email: ser@seross.ca
Agent
Name
Nadia Effendi
Contact information
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
World Exchange Plaza
100 Queen Street, suite 1100
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 1J9
Telephone: (613) 237-5160
FAX: (613) 230-8842
Email: neffendi@blg.com

Party: Advocates' Society

Counsel
Names
Benjamin Zarnett
Jessica Kimmel
Julie Rosenthal
Contact information
Goodmans LLP
2400-250 Yonge St.
Toronto, Ontario
M5B 2M6
Telephone: (416) 979-2211
FAX: (416) 979-1234
Email: bzarnett@goodmans.ca
Agent
Name
Peter Cronyn
Contact information
Nelligan O'Brien Payne LLP
66 Slater Street, Suite 1900
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 5H1
Telephone: (613) 231-8210
FAX: (613) 788-3666

Party: Canadian Bar Association

Counsel
Names
Mahmud Jamal
Craig Lockwood
Contact information
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Box 50, 1 First Canadian Place
Toronto, Ontario
M5X 1B8
Telephone: (416) 862-6764
FAX: (416) 862-6666
Email: mjamal@osler.com
Agent
Name
Patricia J. Wilson
Contact information
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
340 Albert Street
Suite 1900
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 6L2
Telephone: (613) 787-1009
FAX: (613) 235-2867
Email: pwilson@osler.com

Party: Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta

Counsel
Names
Ritu Khullar
Vanessa Cosco
Contact information
Chivers Carpenter
#101, 10426 - 81 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
T6E 1X5
Telephone: (780) 439-3611
FAX: (780) 439-8543
Email: rkhullar@chiverslaw.com
Agent
Name
Fiona Campbell
Contact information
Sack Goldblatt Mitchell LLP
500 - 30 Metcalfe Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 5L4
Telephone: (613) 235-5327 Ext: 2451
FAX: (613) 235-3041
Email: fionacampbell@sgmlaw.com

Party: Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

Counsel
Name
William S. Challis
Contact information
Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario
2 Bloor Street East
Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario
M4W 1A8
Telephone: (437) 770-8564
FAX: (416) 325-9186
Email: bill.challis@ipc.on.ca
Agent
Name
Nadia Effendi
Contact information
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
World Exchange Plaza
100 Queen Street, suite 1100
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 1J9
Telephone: (613) 237-5160
FAX: (613) 230-8842
Email: neffendi@blg.com

Summary

Keywords

None.

Summary

Case summaries are prepared by the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada (Law Branch). Please note that summaries are not provided to the Judges of the Court. They are placed on the Court file and website for information purposes only.

Privacy - Personal information - Privileged documents - Solicitor-client privilege - Whether the Privacy Commissioner of Canada can compel the production of documents over which a claim of solicitor-client privilege is asserted in the context of an investigation under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, S.C. 2000, c. 5.

Annette Soup was dismissed from her employment with the Blood Tribe Department of Health . Following her dismissal, Ms. Soup filed a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner, seeking access to her personal employment information after her request was denied by her employer. Part of her employment file included correspondence between the Department and its solicitors. An assistant Privacy Commissioner requested the records of the Department in very broad terms. All records were provided, save for the documents over which a claim of solicitor-client privilege was advanced. The Commissioner then ordered production of those documents, citing paragraphs 12(1)(a) and (c) of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. The Department of Health has refused to produce the documents and brought an application for judicial review, challenging the legality of the Commissioner’s order. The application for judicial review was dismissed, but the Federal Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, set aside the decision of the Federal Court and vacated the Commissioner’s order for production of records.

Lower court rulings

March 8, 2005
Federal Court of Canada, Trial Division

T-2222-03, 2005 FC 328

Application for judicial review of Commissioner's order for production of records dismissed

October 18, 2006
Federal Court of Appeal

A-147-05, 2006 FCA 334

Appeal allowed; Order of Mosley J. set aside; Commissioner's order for production of records vacated

Filed documents

The memorandums of argument on an application for leave to appeal will be posted here 30 days after leave to appeal has been granted unless they contain personal information, information that is subject to a publication ban, or any other information that is not part of the public record. You may also obtain copies of the memorandum by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613‑996‑7933 or at 1‑888‑551‑1185.

If you have questions about a memorandum of argument or want to use a memorandum of argument, please contact the author of the memorandum of argument directly. Their name appears at the end of the memorandum of argument. The contact information for counsel is found in the “Counsel” tab of this page.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

The factums of the appellant, the respondent and the intervener will be posted here at least 2 weeks before the hearing unless they contain personal information, information that is subject to a publication ban, or any other information that is not part of the public record. You may also obtain copies of factums by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613‑996‑7933 or at 1‑888‑551‑1185.

If you have questions about a factum or want permission to use a factum, please contact the author of the factum directly. Their contact information appears on the first page of each factum.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

The condensed books of the appellant, the respondent and the intervener will be posted here upon receipt of the electronic version, 2 days prior to the scheduled appeal hearing. You may also obtain copies of condensed books by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613‑996‑7933 or at 1‑888‑551‑1185.

If you have questions about a condensed book or want permission to use a condensed book, please contact the author of the condensed book directly. Their contact information appears on the first page of each condensed book.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

Webcasts

Not available.

Date modified: 2025-05-13