List of Supreme Court of Canada cases (Laskin Court)

This is a chronological list of notable cases decided by the Supreme Court of Canada from the appointment of Bora Laskin in 1973 as Chief Justice to his death in office in 1984. Laskin was the first Chief Justice to hear cases under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms implemented in 1982.

19731974 Case name Citation Date SubjectDecember 27, 1973Bora Laskin is appointed as Chief Justice of CanadaCalder v British Columbia (AG) SCR 313January 31, 1973Aboriginal rightsJordan House Hotel Ltd v Menow SCR 239commercial host liabilityCanadian Aero Service Ltd v O'Malley SCR 592June 29, 1973corporate director's fiduciary dutiesCanada (AG) v Lavell SCR 1349August 27, 1973equality, Bill of RightsMoran v Pyle National (Canada) Ltd 1 SCR 393Conflict of lawsMurdoch v Murdoch 1 SCR 423Division of matrimonial property

19751979 Case name Citation Date SubjectKienapple v R 1 SCR 729the "kienapple" principle of multiple criminal chargesJones v New Brunswick (AG) 2 SCR 182validity of Official Languages ActInterprovincial Cooperatives Ltd v R(1975), 1 SCR 477constitutional extraterritorialityMorgentaler v The Queen 1 SCR 616March 26, 1975abortionHarrison v Carswell 2 SCR 200pre-Charter right to protestMorgan v Prince Edward Island (AG) 2 SCR 349limiting right to own landReference Re Anti-Inflation Act 2 SCR 373July 12, 1976peace, order and good government powerMacDonald v Vapor Canada Ltd 2 SCR 134constitutionality of the Trade-marks ActAmax Potash Ltd v Saskatchewan 2 SCR 576October 5, 1976Ability of government to protect itself from unfavourable findings on federalism issues.Miller v R 2 SCR 680Bill of Rights; Cruel and unusual punishmentR v Leary 1 SCR 29March 8, 1977intoxication defenceKruger v R 1 SCR 104May 31, 1977Indian Act and provincial gaming lawsSmithers v R 1 SCR 506 May 17, 1977criminal causation testCapital Cities Communications Inc v Canadian Radio-Television Commission 2 SCR 141November 30, 1977federal works and undertakingsQuebec (AG) v Kellogg's Co of Canada 2 SCR 211January 19, 1978freedom of expressionArnold v Teno 2 SCR 287January 19, 1978duty of care; unforeseeable plaintiffNova Scotia (Board of Censors) v McNeil 2 SCR 662January 19, 1978federalism; provincial power to censorCanada (AG) v Montreal (City of) 2 SCR 770January 19, 1978Federalism and municipal power to create preventative by-lawsReference Re Agricultural Products Marketing Act 2 SCR 1198R v Sault Ste-Marie (City of) 2 SCR 1299May 1, 1978strict liability offencesManitoba Fisheries Ltd v R 1 SCR 101October 3, 1978expropriation; regulatory takingBliss v Canada (AG) 1 SCR 183October 31, 1978 Canadian Bill of RightsR v Hauser 1 SCR 984May 1, 1979federalism; peace, order and good governmentCherneskey v Armadale Publishers Ltd 1 SCR 1067November 21, 1978defamationCanadian Union of Public Employees, Local 963 v New Brunswick Liquor Corp 2 SCR 227judicial reviewDunlop v R 2 SCR 881May 31, 1979aiding and abettingLewis v R 2 SCR 821June 14, 1979Murder; motiveQuebec (AG) v Blaikie (No 1) 2 SCR 1016December 13, 1979language rights

19801984 Case name Citation Date SubjectSolosky v R 1 SCR 821December 21, 1979solicitor-client privilegeLabatt Breweries of Canada Ltd v Canada (AG) 1 SCR 914federal legislative powerPappajohn v R 2 SCR 120May 20, 1980rape defencePettkus v Becker 2 SCR 834December 18, 1980unjust enrichmentReibl v Hughes 2 SCR 880October 7, 1980duty to discloseR v Ron Engineering and Construction (Eastern) Ltd 1 SCR 111January 27, 1981offer and acceptanceRe Residential Tenancies Act, 1979 1 SCR 714May 28, 1981jurisdiction of courtsSeneca College v Bhadauria 2 S.C.R. 181June 22, 1981Human rights, tort, discriminationPatriation Reference 1 SCR 753September 28, 1981patriation of the Constitution of CanadaCanada (Minister of Justice) v Borowski 2 SCR 575December 1, 1981 public interest standingOntario (Human Rights Commission) v Etobicoke (Borough of) 1 SCR 202February 9, 1982 age discrimination April 17, 1982 - The Constitution Act, 1982, which includes the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, enters into effectVetrovec v R 1 SCR 811May 31, 1982evidenceDescôteaux v Mierzwinski 1 SCR 860June 23, 1982privilegeMultiple Access Ltd v McCutcheon 2 SCR 161August 9, 1982overlapping federal and provincial lawsShell Oil Co v Canada (Commissioner of Patents) 2 SCR 536November 2, 1982patentsQuebec Veto Reference 2 SCR 793December 6, 1982Quebec vetoGraat v R 2 SCR 819December 21, 1982opinion evidenceWestendorp v R 1 SCR 43January 25, 1983division of powersCanada (Labour Relations Board) v Paul L'Anglais Inc 1 SCR 147February 8, 1983jurisdiction of courtsR v Saskatchewan Wheat Pool 1 SCR 205February 8, 1983tort of breach of statutory dutyR v Perka 2 SCR 232October 11, 1984defence of necessityRe Upper Churchill Water Rights Reversion Act 1 SCR 297May 3, 1984provincial legislative powerMarch 26, 1984death of Chief Justice Bora Laskin

See also List of Judicial Committee of the Privy Council cases List of notable Canadian Courts of Appeals cases