R. V. Sharpe Case Summary

Greetings Class MGT3010

Below is summary material of the Supreme Court of Canada in the R. v. Sharpe case. The full decision can be obtained by logging into http://scc.lexum.umontreal.ca/en/2001/2001scc2/2001scc2.html Note below (p.4) in bold type the two exceptions allowed by the majority decision of the Supreme Court. You will note too that I was wrong in indicating that empirical evidence is needed to justify certain charges. The Supreme Court accepted that a priori (inferential evidence could be enough to establish the social evil created by portrayal of unlawful activity. I agree with that position. Note however the two exceptions.

If you are interested in pursuing this issue, you may find the bibliography useful.

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33, s. 160. Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (U.K.), 1994, c. 33, ss. 84 to 86. Declaration of the Rights of the Child, G.A. Res. 1386 (XIV) (1959), preamble. Draft Joint Action to combat child pornography on the Internet, [1999] O.J.C. 219/68, art. 1. Family and Child Services Act, R.S.P.E.I. 1988, c. F-2, ss. 1(1)(c), 15(1), (1.1), 16(1), 17(1)(b), 19(b). Family Services Act, S.N.B. 1980, c. F-2.2, ss. 1, 31(5), 32, 33, 51(1), 62(3). Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 (N.Z.) No. 94, ss. 2, 3, 131. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 999 U.N.T.S. 171, art. 24. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 993 U.N.T.S. 3, art. 10(3). International traffic in child pornography, ICPO-Interpol AGN/65/RES/9 (1996). Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography, A/RES/54/263 (2000), Annex II.

Protection of Children Act 1978 (U.K.), 1978, c. 37, ss. 1, 7. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, G.A. Res. 217 A (III), U.N. Doc A/810, at p. 71 (1948), art.…show more content…
A Digest of the Criminal Law (indictable offences), 9th ed. By Sir Lewis Frederick Sturge. London: Sweet & Maxwell, 1950. Sugunasiri, Shalin M. “Contextualism: The Supreme Court’s New Standard of Judicial Analysis and Accountability” (1999), 22 Dalhousie L.J. 126. Sullivan, Ruth. Statutory Interpretation. Concord, Ont.: Irwin Law, 1997. United Nations. Commission on Human Rights. Programme of Action for the Prevention of the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, 55th Mtg., 1992/74. United Nations. General Assembly. Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography: Note by the Secretary-General, U.N. Doc. A/49/478 (1994). Watson, Jack. “Case Comment: R. v. Sharpe” (1999), 10 N.J.C.L. 251.

APPEAL from a judgment of the British Columbia Court of Appeal (1999), 136 C.C.C. (3d) 97, 127 B.C.A.C. 76, 207 W.A.C. 76, 175 D.L.R. (4th) 1, 25 C.R. (5th) 215, 69 B.C.L.R. (3d) 234, [2000] 1 W.W.R. 241, [1999] B.C.J. No. 1555 (QL), 1999 BCCA 416, dismissing a Crown appeal from a decision of the British Columbia Supreme Court (1999), 22 C.R. (5th) 129, 169 D.L.R. (4th) 536, [1999] B.C.J. No. 54 (QL), declaring void s. 163.1(4) of the Criminal Code. Appeal