CIVIL APPEALS - CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER 12

1:0000 INTRODUCTION

1:0100 The Right of Appeal

1:0110 Dispute Resolution by Adjudication

1:0120 No Fundamental Requirement that an Appeal be Provided

1:0130 The Canadian Judicial System

1:0200 The Role of Appellate Courts in the Judicial System

1:0210 The Three Functions of Appellate Courts

1:0211 Supervision of the Process of Adjudication

1:0212 Correcting Error

1:0213 Superintendence of the Jurisprudence

1:0220 The Additional Function of the Supreme Court of Canada

1:0221 The Court’s Primary Function: Superintendence of the Laws of Canada

1:0222 Defining the Relationship Between Appellate Courts and Initial Adjudicators

1:1000 ENSURING DUE PROCESS

1:1100 The Traditional Model of Adjudication

1:1110 The Defining Characteristics of the Adjudicative Decision-Making Process

1:1111 Participation Through the Presentation of Proofs and Argument

1:1120 Implications of Decision-Making by Adjudication

1:1121 The Adversary Process

1:1122 A Pre-existing Norm

1:1123 A Neutral Decision-Maker

1:1124 Communication of Proofs and Argument

1:1125 Reasoned Decisions

1:1200 Errors in the Conduct of the Trial

1:1210 Non-Compliance with Basic Participatory Requirements

1:1211 Per Se Fairness Errors

1:1212 Excessive Conduct Resulting in a Breach of Fairness

1:1220 Errors in the Exercise of Discretion by the Trial Judge

1:1221 Generally

1:1222 Deferential Standard of Appellate Review

1:1300 Errors in the Adjudicative Decision-Making Process

1:1310 Lack of Neutrality

1:1320 Inadequate Reasons

1:1330 Discretionary Refusal to Correct Process Error

1:1331 Adversarial Fault and Waiver

1:1332 De Minimis and Harmless Error

1:2000 CORRECTING SUBSTANTIVE ERROR

1:2100 Introduction

1:2200 Fact-Identification, Law-Declaration and Conclusions

1:2210 Fact-Finding

1:2211 Overview

1:2212 The Standard of Appellate Review

1:2213 The Rationales for Deference

1:2220 Declaring the Governing Legal Proposition

1:2221 Overview

1:2222 The Standard of Review of Law-Declarations

1:2223 Appeals From Administrative Decision-Makers

1:2230 Applying the Law to the Facts

1:2231 Law-Application as a Third Classification

1:2232 Standard of Review of Substantive Mixed Questions of Fact and Law

1:3000 THE LAW-MAKING FUNCTION

1:3100 How Courts “Make Law”

1:3110 Generally

1:3111 Judge-Made Law

1:3112 Primarily the Responsibility of Appellate Courts

1:3120 Extricating a Question of Law from a Question of Mixed Fact and Law

1:3121 Extricating as a Judgmental Act

1:3122 Polycentricity of the Subject Matter

1:3123 The Factual Content of the Subject Matter

1:3124 Does the Conclusion Apply Written Law?

1:3200 Stare Decisis as a Restraint on Judicial Law-Making

1:3210 The Doctrine of Precedent

1:3211 Decisions of Higher Courts Bind Lower Courts

1:3212 Prior Decisions of Appellate Courts

1:3213 Earlier Decisions of Judges of Co-ordinate Jurisdiction

1:3220 Underlying Reasons for the Doctrine of Stare Decisis

1:3230 Overruling a Past Decision of the Supreme Court of Canada

1:3240 Overruling Past Decisions in the Intermediate Appellate Courts

1:3241 Overview

1:3242 British Columbia Court of Appeal

1:3243 Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba Courts of Appeal

1:3244 The Ontario Court of Appeal and Divisional Court

1:3245 The Quebec Court of Appeal

1:3246 Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia Courts of Appeal

1:3247 The Federal Court of Appeal

1:3300 Other Institutional Limitations On Judicial Law-Making Power

1:3310 Generally

1:3320 Requirement of Litigants

1:3330 Parties Select The Issues

1:3340 Mootness

1:3350 Retroactivity

1:3360 Justiciability

1:4000 A LAW OF CIVIL APPEALS

1:4100 Organization of “Civil Appeals”

1:4110 Part I: Jurisdiction of Appellate Courts in Canada

1:4120 Part II: Appellate Procedures

1:4130 Part III: Ensuring Due Process