March 14, 2009
Legislation carries some scary powers
As part of its green energy legislation, the McGuinty government is poised
to shred the right to privacy that all citizens enjoy in their lawyer's offices
– solicitor-client privilege. It is described in a 2001 decision of the Supreme
Court of Canada as being "fundamental to the justice system in Canada."
Late last month, Ontario Energy Minister George Smitherman introduced Bill
150, the Green Energy and Green Economy Act. It makes an energy audit compulsory
for the sale (and some leases) of every residential property in Ontario.
I was very critical of
these proposed audits in last week's column, calling them an unprecedented
and unnecessary government intrusion into the free marketplace.
But the energy audits are not the only offensive part of the legislation.
Last week I heard from my colleague Peter T. Fallis, a lawyer in Durham, Ont. Fallis sounded the alarm about the scary inspection powers contained in Bill
150.
It says that the deputy minister may designate anyone to be an inspector
under the legislation.
At any reasonable time, an inspector may, without a search warrant, enter any
place where he or she believes that there are documents relating to an offer to
sell or to lease a residence. This would include a lawyer's office, a real
estate office, and – with a search warrant – even a private home.
The inspector has the right to demand to see any documents that are relevant
to the home energy audit and take them away for the purpose of making copies.
The inspector may also require any person to assist with an inspection.
A contravention of the act, including a failure to co-operate with a search,
is punishable by a penalty of up to $10,000. Corporations can be fined up to
$25,000.
In the context of criminal law, the Federation of Law Societies and the Law
Society of Upper Canada have adopted a protocol on law office searches where
police arrive with a search warrant to inspect client files. Under this
protocol, lawyers will typically claim that the files are covered by
solicitor-client privilege. At that point, the seized files are sealed and the
issue of confidentiality is later decided before a judge, after hearing
arguments by the lawyer, the client, and the attorney general.
No such protection is written into the Green Energy Act. Law and real estate
offices can be searched and client files can be seized and copied without a
search warrant or any official oversight – just to obtain a copy of an energy
audit.
Back in 2001, then Supreme Court of Canada Justice John Major explained why
solicitor-client privilege is so important in our society. In the case of David
McClure, he wrote, "The integrity of the administration of justice depends upon
the unique role of the solicitor who provides legal advice to clients within
this complex system. At the heart of this privilege lies the concept that people
must be able to speak candidly with their lawyers and so enable their interests
to be fully represented."
Ten years earlier, then Chief Justice Antonio Lamer wrote, "protection for
solicitor-client communications is based on the fact that the relationship and
the communications between solicitor and client are essential to the effective
operation of the legal system."
As I read Bill 150, no thought appears to have been given to solicitor-client
privilege. If the bill is enacted in its present form, it is bound to result in
years of litigation. I think it's time to scrap Bill 150 and start all over
again.
Bob Aaron is a Toronto real estate lawyer and a director of the Tarion
Warranty Corporation. He can be reached by email at
bob@aaron.ca, phone 416-364-9366 or fax
416-364-3818. Visit the column archives at
http://aaron.ca/columns/toronto-star-index.htm for articles on this and
other topics. |
