Ann Christian-Brown

The accused brought a Rowbotham application seeking a court‑ordered state-funded counsel after being denied Legal Aid.

The Crown conceded the accused had been refused Legal Aid and lacked the financial means to retain counsel, leaving only the issue of whether her right to a fair trial would be materially compromised without representation.

The accused faced charges of mischief and criminal harassment and argued the harassment charge was legally complex.

The court held the anticipated four‑hour trial was not lengthy or complex and that the accused could effectively represent herself with guidance from the court.

The application for court‑appointed counsel was dismissed.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada appealed an order requiring the production of an aircraft's cockpit voice recorder (CVR) to NAV Canada in the context of civil litigation arising from an airplane crash.

The Board argued the motion judge applied the wrong legal test under s. 28(6) of the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, finding the motion judge correctly balanced the public interest in the proper administration of justice against the statutory privilege attached to the CVR.

The court upheld the production order, noting the CVR's high relevance and reliability, but reversed a minor order regarding a flight animation that was not properly before the motion judge.

An employee of the appellant's subsidiary was injured at work and settled a claim for $1,350,000.

The appellant sued its excess insurer for the $350,000 amount above its primary coverage.

The appellant argued the umbrella policy provided 'claims made' coverage, while the insurer argued an endorsement limited it to an 'occurrence' basis.

The trial judge found the endorsement superseded the general policy provisions and required an occurrence during the policy period.

The Court of Appeal upheld this interpretation, finding the endorsement operated as a coverage trigger rather than an exclusion, and dismissed the appeal.