The plaintiffs in a civil action arising from an assault sought production of police and Crown records relating to the young offenders who committed the assault.
The motion judge ordered production under the Rules of Civil Procedure, and a subsequent judge ordered compliance subject to a vetting process.
The Attorney General appealed, arguing that the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) provides the exclusive mechanism for accessing such records.
The Court of Appeal agreed, holding that section 118(1) of the YCJA clearly and unambiguously limits access to young offender records to the procedures set out in that Act, precluding the Superior Court from ordering production under Rule 30.10 or its inherent jurisdiction.
The appeal was allowed and the production order set aside.