B.C. v. Mzite (2014), 356 B.C.A.C. 290 (CA);
610 W.A.C. 290
MLB headnote and full text
Temp. Cite: [2014] B.C.A.C. TBEd. JN.023
Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of British Columbia as represented by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General (respondent/petitioner) v. Charles Mzite (appellant/respondent) and British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal (respondent/respondent)
(CA041080; 2014 BCCA 220)
Indexed As: British Columbia (Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General) v. Mzite et al.
British Columbia Court of Appeal
Lowry, Stromberg-Stein and Willcock, JJ.A.
June 9, 2014.
Summary:
Mzite was an inmate at the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre (VIRCC) from September 2007 to April 2009. In June 2011, he filed a complaint with the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, alleging that the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General discriminated against him on the basis of his physical disability, in contravention of the Human Rights Code by denying him adequate health care while he was an inmate at the VIRCC. He claimed to have been denied consistent access to the antiretroviral medication used to treat and manage his HIV. The Tribunal sought the parties’ positions in relation to the late filing of the complaint and ultimately accepted the late filed complaint under s. 22(3) of the Code (see 2012 BCHRT 53). The Ministry applied for judicial review.
The British Columbia Supreme Court, in a decision reported at [2013] B.C.T.C. Uned. 1116, allowed the application and set aside the Tribunal’s decision. Mzite appealed.
The British Columbia Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, set aside the Supreme Court’s order and remitted the substantive complaint for consideration by the Tribunal pursuant to the Code.
Civil Rights – Topic 7069.01
Federal, provincial or territorial legislation – Commissions or boards – Jurisdiction – Complaints – Delay – See paragraphs 29 to 84.
Civil Rights – Topic 7118
Federal, provincial or territorial legislation – Practice – Limitation period – See paragraphs 29 to 84.
Courts – Topic 2283
Jurisdiction – Bars – Premature matters – See paragraphs 29 to 44.
Cases Noticed:
Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal (B.C.) v. Hill et al. (2011), 299 B.C.A.C. 129; 508 W.A.C. 129; 16 B.C.L.R.(5th) 142; 2011 BCCA 49, refd to. [para. 23].
Halifax (Regional Municipality) v. Human Rights Commission (N.S.) et al., [2012] 1 S.C.R. 364; 428 N.R. 107; 316 N.S.R.(2d) 1; 1002 A.P.R. 1; 2012 SCC 10, refd to. [para. 30].
Bell v. Human Rights Commission (Ont.), [1971] S.C.R. 756, refd to. [para. 30].
Imperial Parking Canada Corp. v. Bali et al., [2005] B.C.T.C. 643; 2005 BCSC 643, refd to. [para. 32].
Insurance Corp. of British Columbia v. Yuan et al. (2009), 272 B.C.A.C. 198; 459 W.A.C. 198; 2009 BCCA 279, dist. [para. 33].
Vancouver (City) v. Assessment Appeal Board (B.C.) et al. (1996), 76 B.C.A.C. 42; 125 W.A.C. 42; 20 B.C.L.R.(3d) 79 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 37].
Board of Education of School District No. 34 (Abbotsford) v. Corren, [2011] B.C.T.C. Uned. 529; 2011 BCSC 529, refd to. [para. 38].
Kelowna (City) et al. v. O’Byrne et al. (1999), 19 B.C.T.C. 132; 90 A.C.W.S.(3d) 441 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 38].
British Columbia v. Crockford (2006), 229 B.C.A.C. 114; 379 W.A.C. 114; 271 D.L.R.(4th) 445; 2006 BCCA 360, refd to. [para. 45].
Lee v. British Columbia (Attorney General) et al. (2004), 204 B.C.A.C. 113; 333 W.A.C. 113; 32 B.C.L.R.(4th) 1; 2004 BCCA 457, refd to. [para. 49].
Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses’ Union v. Newfoundland and Labrador (Treasury Board) et al., [2011] 3 S.C.R. 708; 424 N.R. 220; 317 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 340; 986 A.P.R. 340; 2011 SCC 62, refd to. [para. 50].
Routkovskaia v. Human Rights Tribunal (B.C.) et al. (2012), 319 B.C.A.C. 81; 542 W.A.C. 81; 2012 BCCA 141, refd to. [para. 51].
Hoang v. Warnaco and Johns, 2007 BCHRT 24, refd to. [para. 53].
Ferrier v. BCAA, 2009 BCHRT 412, refd to. [para. 54].
George v. Village of Montrose, 2012 BCHRT 279, refd to. [para. 54].
Fontaine v. Ainsworth Lumber Co., 2005 BCHRT 565, refd to. [para. 55].
Chartier v. School District No. 62, 2003 BCHRT 39, refd to. [para. 59].
Belusic and obo another v. Victoria Regional Transit Commission and others, 2012 BCHRT 305, refd to. [para. 59].
LeMoine v. B.C. (Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General) and BCGEU, 2009 BCHRT 163, refd to. [para. 59].
Ferrier; Palmer v. Wastech Services, 2012 BCHRT 251, refd to. [para. 59].
Harris v. British Columbia (Ministry of Justice), 2013 BCHRT 50, refd to. [para. 59].
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP v. Human Rights Tribunal (B.C.) et al. (2014), 458 N.R. 38; 2014 SCC 39, refd to. [para. 64].
Mehar and others v. International Forest Products, 2005 BCHRT 161, refd to. [para. 65].
Hau v. SFU Student Services and others, 2014 BCHRT 10, refd to. [para. 66].
Bains v. Advanced Air Supply and others, 2013 BCHRT 74, refd to. [para. 66].
Mathieu v. Victoria Shipyards and others, 2010 BCHRT 224, refd to. [para. 66].
A and B obo C v. B.C. (Ministry of Health), 2012 BCHRT 145, refd to. [para. 66].
Driscoll obo Egeland v. B.C. (Ministry of Health) and others, 2012 BCHRT 68, refd to. [para. 67].
British Columbia (Minister of Education) v. Moore et al., [2012] 3 S.C.R. 360; 436 N.R. 152; 328 B.C.A.C. 1; 558 W.A.C. 1; 2012 SCC 61, refd to. [para. 69].
Johansen v. Southern Railway of B.C. and another, 2011 BCHRT 239, refd to. [para. 70].
Lewis v. British Columbia (Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General), 2011 BCHRT 352, refd to. [para. 70].
Kelly v. British Columbia (Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General)(No. 2), 2009 BCHRT 363, refd to. [para. 73].
Gichuru v. Law Society of British Columbia (No. 4), 2009 BCHRT 360, refd to. [para. 73].
L. v. British Columbia (Ministry of Children and Family Development), 2011 BCHRT 214, refd to. [para. 73].
Counsel:
F. Kelly and K. Slaughter, for the appellant;
K.A. Horsman, for the respondent Province;
K.A. Hardie, for the respondent, B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.
This appeal was heard at Vancouver, B.C., on April 10, 2014, by Lowry, Stromberg-Stein and Willcock, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. The following judgment of the Court of Appeal was delivered by Willcock, J.A., on June 9, 2014.
