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MacNeill v. Briau

[1977] 2 SCR 205 Court SCC Decision date 1976-05-18 English

PartiesWendell Ross MacNeill and Francis Edward Shanahan Appellants and Cross- Respondents·Helene Briau Respondent and Cross- Appellant

Counsel (4)
David MacLeod, for the appellants and cross-respondents.
M.A. Farmer, Q.C., for the respondent and cross-appellant.
Solicitors for the appellants and cross-respondents: MacLeod & MacLeod, Charlottetown.
Solicitors for the respondent and cross-appellant: Farmer, Dalzell & Farmer, Charlottetown.

Judges Martland, Ronald; Ritchie, Roland Almon; Spence, Wishart Flett; Dickson, Robert George Brian; Beetz, Jean

Decision 4–1 Majority (4) · MARTLAND J. (1)

On appeal from Prince Edward Island

Subjects Appeal

Contents

Majority

The judgment of the Court was delivered orally by

MARTLAND J.

MARTLAND J.—The appeal in this case has already been dismissed with costs. It is now necessary to consider the cross-appeal.
We are all of the opinion that, in the circumstances of this case, the Court of Appeal was in error in finding the respondent to be partly responsible for the accident which caused her injuries. The issue of the case was mainly dependent upon the credibility of the witnesses on each side, and findings were made by the trial judge in favour of the respondent. In our view the Court of Appeal failed to give due weight to those findings, but, instead, elected to retry the case. It was not entitled to disturb the findings at trial unless the trial judge had made a palpable error. In our opinion he
[Page 206]
did not. The cross-appeal is allowed and the judgment of the trial judge is restored. The respondent is entitled to costs in this Court and in the Court below. The case is returned to the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island for the assessment of damages.
Appeal dismissed with costs, cross-appeal allowed with costs, judgment at trial restored.
Solicitors for the appellants and cross-respondents: MacLeod & MacLeod, Charlottetown.
Solicitors for the respondent and cross-appellant: Farmer, Dalzell & Farmer, Charlottetown.

Footnotes

  1. [1] (1974), 6 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 530.