Graham Sleeth

The appellant was convicted of first degree murder after shooting a highway patrol officer.

At trial, he admitted to the killing but raised the defence of insanity.

The Crown adduced evidence that the appellant was a suspect in a New York murder to explain his flight, and Crown counsel made highly prejudicial remarks about a defence psychiatric expert during the address to the jury.

The Supreme Court of Canada held that while the presumption of sanity in s. 16(4) of the Criminal Code infringes s. 11(d) of the Charter, it is saved by s. 1.

However, the Court allowed the appeal and ordered a new trial because the trial judge's failure to comment on Crown counsel's prejudicial remarks in the jury charge constituted an error of law that could not be cured by the proviso.

The appellant was charged with a summary conviction offence under the Game Act.

The trial judge quashed the information for multiplicity.

The Court of Queen's Bench issued mandamus ordering the trial to proceed.

The Court of Appeal varied the order to allow the Crown to elect which charge to proceed upon, provided the information could be amended without injustice.

The Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the appeal, endorsing the Court of Appeal's practical approach, noting there was no express prohibition against multiple charges in the provincial Summary Convictions Act.