The appellant sought to set aside his de facto guilty plea for using a hand-held wireless communication device while driving, arguing he was unaware of the resulting 3-day driver's licence suspension.
The court dismissed the appeal, finding that the licence suspension is a direct consequence of the Highway Traffic Act offence, not a "legally relevant collateral consequence" as defined in criminal law (R. v. Wong).
The court emphasized that licensed drivers are expected to ascertain the direct penalties for provincial offences and that the information was readily available.
