J.M. Asbestos Inc. v. Commission d’appel en matière de lésions

professionnelles, [1998] 1 S.C.R. 315

 

Clément Guillemette Estate

and Lilianne Boivert Guillemette                                                      Appellants

 

v.

 

J.M. Asbestos Inc.                                                                             Respondent

 

and

 

Commission d’appel en matière de lésions

professionnelles and Micheline Paquin                                            Mis en cause

 

and

 

Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail                         Intervener

 

and

 

Confederation of National Trade Unions                                         Intervener

 

and between

 

Commission d’appel en matière de lésions

professionnelles                                                                                 Appellant

 

v.

J.M. Asbestos Inc.                                                                             Respondent

 

and

 

Clément Guillemette Estate

and Lilianne Boivert Guillemette                                                      Mis en cause

 

and

 

Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail                         Intervener

 

and

 

Confederation of National Trade Unions                                         Intervener

 

Indexed as:  J.M. Asbestos Inc. v. Commission d’appel en matière de lésions

professionnelles 

 

File No.:  25617.

 

1998:  February 23.

 

Present:  Lamer C.J. and L’Heureux‑Dubé, Gonthier, Cory, McLachlin, Iacobucci and Bastarache JJ.

 

on appeal from the court of appeal for quebec

 

Administrative law ‑‑ Judicial review ‑‑ Commission d’appel en matière de lésions professionnelles ‑‑ Standard of review ‑‑ Burden of proof ‑‑ Presumption.

 

APPEAL from a judgment of the Quebec Court of Appeal, [1996] R.J.Q. 2444, [1996] Q.J. No. 2676 (QL), affirming a judgment of the Superior Court, [1992] C.A.L.P. 1640, granting a motion in evocation of a decision of the CALP, [1991] C.A.L.P. 309.  Appeal allowed.

 

Richard Mailhot, for the appellants the Guillemette Estate et al.

 

Claire Delisle and Marie‑France Bernier, for the appellant CALP.

 

Philippe Casgrain, Q.C., Gérard Dugré and Michel Towner, for the respondent.

 

Maurice Cloutier, for the intervener CSST.

 

Edward Kravitz, for the intervener CNTU.

 

English version of the judgment of the Court delivered orally by

 

1                 The Chief Justice ‑‑We all essentially agree with the reasons of Forget J.A. of the Quebec Court of Appeal.

 

2                 Accordingly, the appeal is allowed, the judgment of the Quebec Court of Appeal is set aside and the decision rendered by the Commission d’appel en matière de lésions professionnelles is restored, the whole with costs throughout.

 

Judgment accordingly.

 

Solicitors for the appellants the Guillemette Estate et al.:  Mailhot Drapeau, Charlesbourg.

 

Solicitors for the appellant CALP:  Levasseur Delisle, Québec.

 

Solicitors for the respondent:  Byers Casgrain, Montréal.

 

Solicitors for the intervener CSST:  Panneton Lessard, Montréal.

 

Solicitors for the intervener CNTU:  Sauvé & Roy, Montréal.