Wednesday 21 September 2016

Docket: T-1557-15 Judge B. Richard Bell Decision December 23, 2015



 

Date: 20151223


Docket: T-1557-15
Fredericton, New Brunswick, December 23, 2015
PRESENT:    The Honourable Mr. Justice Bell
BETWEEN:
DAVID RAYMOND AMOS
Plaintiff
and
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
Defendant
ORDER
(Delivered orally from the Bench in Fredericton, New Brunswick, on December 14, 2015)
The Plaintiff seeks an appeal de novo, by way of motion pursuant to the Federal Courts Rules (SOR/98-106), from an Order made on November 12, 2015, in which Prothonotary Morneau struck the Statement of Claim in its entirety.
At the outset of the hearing, the Plaintiff brought to my attention a letter dated September 10, 2004, which he sent to me, in my then capacity as Past President of the New Brunswick Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, and the then President of the Branch, Kathleen Quigg, (now a Justice of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal).  In that letter he stated:  
As for your past President, Mr. Bell, may I suggest that you check the work of Frank McKenna before I sue your entire law firm including you. You are your brother’s keeper.   
Frank McKenna is the former Premier of New Brunswick and a former colleague of mine at the law firm of McInnes Cooper. In addition to expressing an intention to sue me, the Plaintiff refers to a number of people in his Motion Record who he appears to contend may be witnesses or potential parties to be added. Those individuals who are known to me personally, include, but are not limited to the former Prime Minister of Canada, The Right Honourable Stephen Harper; former Attorney General of Canada and now a Justice of the Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench, Vic Toews; former member of Parliament Rob Moore; former Director of Policing Services, the late Grant Garneau; former Chief of the Fredericton Police Force, Barry McKnight; former Staff Sergeant Danny Copp; my former colleagues on the New Brunswick Court of Appeal, Justices Bradley V. Green and Kathleen Quigg, and, retired Assistant Commissioner Wayne Lang of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
In the circumstances, given the threat in 2004 to sue me in my personal capacity and my past and present relationship with many potential witnesses and/or potential parties to the litigation, I am of the view there would be a reasonable apprehension of bias should I hear this motion. See Justice de Grandpré’s dissenting judgment in Committee for Justice and Liberty et al v National Energy Board et al, [1978] 1 SCR 369 at p 394 for the applicable test regarding allegations of bias. In the circumstances, although neither party has requested I recuse myself, I consider it appropriate that I do so.



AS A RESULT OF MY RECUSAL, THIS COURT ORDERS that the Administrator of the Court schedule another date for the hearing of the motion.  There is no order as to costs.  
“B. Richard Bell”
Judge

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