Sex Workers Challenge Criminalilty of Prostitution

In a recent Supreme Court of Canada decision - Canada (Attorney General) v. Downtown Eastside Sex Workers United Against Violence Society (B.C.C.A. October 12, 2010)(33981), an organization called
A Society whose objects include improving conditions for female sex workers in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver and K, who worked as such for 30 years, launched a Charter challenge to the prostitution provisions of the Criminal Code. The chambers judge found that they should not be granted either public or private interest standing to pursue their challenge; the British Columbia Court of Appeal, however, granted them both public interest standing.”

The SCC (unanimously) dismissed the appeal.

Justice Cromwell wrote as follows (at paragraphs 1-3, 42, 51):

“This appeal is concerned with the law of public interest standing in constitutional cases. The law of standing answers the question of who is entitled to bring a case to court for a decision. Of course it would be intolerable if everyone had standing to sue for everything, no matter how limited a personal stake they had in the matter. Limitations on standing are necessary in order to ensure that courts do not become hopelessly overburdened with marginal or redundant cases, to screen out the mere “busybody” litigant, to ensure that courts have the benefit of contending points of view of those most directly affected and to ensure that courts play their proper role within our democratic system of government: Finlay v. Canada (Minister of Finance), [1986] 2 S.C.R. 607, at p. 631. The traditional approach was to limit standing to persons whose private rights were at stake or who were specially affected by the issue. In public law cases, however, Canadian courts have relaxed these limitations on standing and have taken a flexible, discretionary approach to public interest standing, guided by the purposes which underlie the traditional limitations.

In exercising their discretion with respect to standing, the courts weigh three factors in light of these underlying purposes and of the particular circumstances. The courts consider whether the case raises a serious justiciable issue, whether the party bringing the action has a real stake or a genuine interest in its outcome and whether, having regard to a number of factors, the proposed suit is a reasonable and effective means to bring the case to court: Canadian Council of Churches v. Canada (Minister of Employment and Immigration), [1992] 1 S.C.R. 236, at p. 253. The courts exercise this discretion to grant or refuse standing in a “liberal and generous manner” (p. 253).

In this case, the respondents the Downtown Eastside Sex Workers United Against Violence Society, whose objects include improving working conditions for female sex workers, and Ms. Kiselbach, have launched a broad constitutional challenge to the prostitution provisions of the Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46. The British Columbia Court of Appeal found that they should be granted public interest standing to pursue this challenge; the Attorney General of Canada appeals. The appeal raises one main question: whether the three factors which courts are to consider in deciding the standing issue are to be treated as a rigid checklist or as considerations to be taken into account and weighed in exercising judicial discretion in a way that serves the underlying purposes of the law of standing. In my view, the latter approach is the right one. Applying it here, my view is that the Society and Ms. Kiselbach should be granted public interest standing.

It may be helpful to give some examples of the types of interrelated matters that courts may find useful to take into account... This list, of course, is not exhaustive but illustrative.

• The court should consider the plaintiff’s capacity to bring forward a claim. In doing so, it should examine amongst other things, the plaintiff’s resources, expertise and whether the issue will be presented in a sufficiently concrete and well-developed factual setting.

• The court should consider whether the case is of public interest in the sense that it transcends the interests of those most directly affected by the challenged law or action. Courts should take into account that one of the ideas which animates public interest litigation is that it may provide access to justice for disadvantaged persons in society whose legal rights are affected. Of course, this should not be equated with a licence to grant standing to whoever decides to set themselves up as the representative of the poor or marginalized.

• The court should turn its mind to whether there are realistic alternative means which would favour a more efficient and effective use of judicial resources and would present a context more suitable for adversarial determination. Courts should take a practical and pragmatic approach. The existence of other potential plaintiffs, particularly those who would have standing as of right, is relevant, but the practical prospects of their bringing the matter to court at all or by equally or more reasonable and effective means should be considered in light of the practical realities, not theoretical possibilities. Where there are other actual plaintiffs in the sense that other proceedings in relation to the matter are under way, the court should assess from a practical perspective what, if anything, is to be gained by having parallel proceedings and whether the other proceedings will resolve the issues in an equally or more reasonable and effective manner. In doing so, the court should consider not only the particular legal issues or issues raised, but whether the plaintiff brings any particularly useful or distinctive perspective to the resolution of those issues.

• The potential impact of the proceedings on the rights of others who are equally or more directly affected should be taken into account. Indeed, courts should pay special attention where private and public interests may come into conflict. As was noted in Danson v. Ontario (Attorney General), [1990] 2 S.C.R. 1086, at p. 1093, the court should consider, for example, whether “the failure of a diffuse challenge could prejudice subsequent challenges to the impugned rules by parties with specific and factually established complaints”. The converse is also true. If those with a more direct and personal stake in the matter have deliberately refrained from suing, this may argue against exercising discretion in favour of standing.”

Regards,

Blair