Hyperlawhypertext legal database R. v. Nord-Deutsche Versicherungs-Gesellschaft [1971] SCR 849

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R. v. Nord-Deutsche Versicherungs-Gesellschaft

[1971] SCR 849 Court SCC Decision date 1971-04-27 English

PartiesHer Majesty The Queen (Respondent) Appellant·Nord-Deutsche Versicherungs-Gesellschaft, United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Limited and Fischer Bearings Manufacturing Limited (Suppliants) Respondents·Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot-Maatschappij N.V. (The Royal Netherlands Steamship Company) (Third Party Defendant) Respondent

Counsel (5)
Jules Deschênes, Q.C., P.M. Ollivier, Q.C., P.M. Troop, Q.C., and B.M. Deschênes, Q.C., for the appelant.
F.O. Gerity, Q.C., A.S. Hyndman, Q.C., Jean Brisset, Q.C., and P.C. Cathcart, for the respondents.
Solicitor for the appellant: D.S. Maxwell, Ottawa.
Solicitors for the suppliants: McMaster, Meighen, Minnion, Patch & Cordeau, Montreal
Solicitors for the third party defendant: Beauregard, Brisset & Reycraft, Montreal

Judges Fauteux, Joseph Honoré Gérald; Abbott, Douglas Charles; Ritchie, Roland Almon; Hall, Emmett Matthew; Pigeon, Louis-Philippe

Delivered by Majority

On appeal from Canada

Subjects Transportation

Contents

The judgment of Fauteux C.J. and of Abbott, Ritchie and Hall JJ. was delivered by

That at the time of the collision it was a fine day with maximum visibility, little or no wind and virtually no ice of any consequence in Lake St. Peter (page 123).
There were a few winter buoys on the north side of the channel between Riviere du Loup and Yamachiche Bend. There were no buoys on the south side of the channel. (page 123).
The collision occurred at 0628 hours and about two cables down River from the eastern end of Yamachiche Bend. (page 126).
The southerly displacement of the Pointe du Lac front light had reached 25 to 30 feet by the year 1964 and it is not unreasonable to assume that the actual movement by the time of the accident was some 40 feet. (page 135).
The pilot of the Hermes knew that in 1964 the line up of the lights of Point du Lac did not take a vessel along the center of the channel but somewhat south thereof. (p. 149).
Immediately before the collision both vessels were proceeding at full manoeuvring speed, the Hermes at 15 knots and the Transatlantic at some 12 knots. (page 125).

Footnotes

  1. [1] [1969] 1 Ex.C.R. 117.
  2. [2] [1952] 1 S.C.R. 571, [1952] 2 D.L.R. 241.
  3. [3] [1969] 1 Ex.C.R. 117.
  4. [4] [1952] 1 S.C.R. 571, [1952] 2 D.L.R. 241.
  5. [5] [1970] S.C.R. 25.
  6. [6] [1969] S.C.R. 745, 14 D.L.R. (3d) 445.
  7. [7] [1967] S.C.R. 262 at 264, 59 W.W.R. 214, 60 D.L.R. (2d) 647.
  8. [8] [1960] S.C.R. 315, 80 C.R.T.C. 254, 22 D.L.R. (2d) 385.
  9. [9] [1967] Que. S.C. 1.
  10. [10] [1948] S.C.R. 126 at 132, [1948] 2 D.L.R. 705.
  11. [11] (1891), 19 S.C.R. 204.
  12. [12] [1939] A.C. 468, [1939] 3 D.L.R. 1, [1939] 3 AU. E.R. 98, [1939] 2 W.W.R. 566, 21 C.B.R. 1.
  13. [13] [1940] A.C. 513, [1940] 1 W.W.R. 502, [1940] 2 All E.R. 220, [1940] 2 D.L.R. 273.
  14. [14] (1919), 58 S.C.R. 640 at 650, 31 C.C.C. 410, 46 D.L.R. 520.
  15. [15] [1906] A.C. 117, 75 L.J.P.C. 36.
  16. [16] (1882), 7 App. Cas. 795 at 803, [1881-5] AU. E.R. 342.
  17. [17] [1961] Que. Q.B. 509.
  18. [18] [1930] S.C.R. 284, [1930] 2 D.L.R. 868.
  19. [19] [1958] Que. Q.B. 581.
  20. [20] (1898), 8 Que. Q.B. 412, Aff. [1900] A.C. 595.
  21. [21] (1896), 25 S.C.R. 649.
  22. [22] [1956] S.C.R. 954, 4 D.L.R. (2d) 263.
  23. [23] (1933), 54 Que. K.B. 197.
  24. [24] (1918), 56 S.C.R. 176, 40 D.L.R. 353.
  25. [25] [1967] S.C.R. 262, 59 W.W.R. 214, 60 D.L.R. (2d) 647.