The respondent's driver's licence was revoked following a Criminal Code conviction, but reinstated pending his appeal.
After his appeal was dismissed, he continued to drive, mistakenly believing he was entitled to do so until he received official notification from the Registrar of Motor Vehicles.
He was charged with driving while his licence was cancelled under the provincial Motor Vehicle Act.
The Supreme Court of Canada held that while the offence is one of strict liability, the respondent's mistake was one of law, not fact.
As ignorance of the law is not an excuse and there was no evidence of officially induced error, the Court allowed the Crown's appeal and ordered a new trial.
