$90,000 in legal fees for a $54 ticket

[markom]

OTTAWA — Canada's top court will hear an appeal from the province of Alberta of a court order to pay costs in the case of a man who fought a $54 unilingual traffic ticket.


The ticket, issued in 2003 for making an illegal left turn, was challenged by a francophone Alberta truck driver named Gilles Caron, because it was not written in French. A provincial court supported the challenge, declaring Alberta's Languages Act unconstitutional.


No date has yet been scheduled for the appeal in the Supreme Court of Canada, which will rule on whether the Alberta government must pay Caron $90,000 in legal costs.


In July 2008, a provincial court judge quashed the traffic ticket given to Caron, ruling that — because the ticket was written in English — his constitutional rights had been breached and he was not guilty of the offence.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Al...978/story.html

Got a unilingual ticket? Contest!

[Troodon]

Wtf?

[cooolway]

I gotta use that excuse for my next speeding ticket.

[drowsy]

Just send him another ticket in French. Problem solved.
Legal fees? What legal fees? He can pay those himself.

[Akraz]

Just send him another ticket in French. Problem solved.
Legal fees? What legal fees? He can pay those himself.

Well, i think the problem was the original sign that showed no left turns wasn't in french

This type of court case you hear in the states lol

[BornRuff]

Just send him another ticket in French. Problem solved.
Legal fees? What legal fees? He can pay those himself.

Well, if the state was in the wrong, why should the individual be forced to foot a 90k bill just to enforce their rights?

Weather or not you agree with the verdict is not really important. That isn't what is being determined here. The question is essentially who is responsible for paying the legal fees in this case. Having to give up 90k to enforce your rights doesn't sit well with me.

[drowsy]

Well, i think the problem was the original sign that showed no left turns wasn't in french

A road sign? No left turn? In English? Right... Where do you buy your herbs in Mississauga?

[appleb]

How can you misinterpret this sign. Even if it's in Swahili you should be able to understand this!

[Jon Lai]

How can you misinterpret this sign. Even if it's in Swahili you should be able to understand this!

+1

There's no English on it either.

[Octavius]

Well, if the state was in the wrong, why should the individual be forced to foot a 90k bill just to enforce their rights?

Weather or not you agree with the verdict is not really important. That isn't what is being determined here. The question is essentially who is responsible for paying the legal fees in this case. Having to give up 90k to enforce your rights doesn't sit well with me.

Assuming the SCC upholds the lower court decisions, I guess this means that if I get any sort of ticket in Quebec (assuming of course that they're all only in French) that I can use the same defense...

[TheFuteballer]

It's not about the sign!!! It's about the TICKET not being bilingual which is part of Canadian law that states everything has to be written bilingually. That is why he is challenging this.

[JAGpilot]

How hard is it to send the guy another ticket in French or have someone translate it for him at the court?

[Asmegin]

How hard is it to send the guy another ticket in French or have someone translate it for him at the court?

I guess the original has to be in French as well

[jp06]

I guess the original has to be in French as well

BS excuse lol.... But i guess Alberta courts got burned on this one. Too bad Toronto Parking enforcement have it all figured out already. But wait, street signs aren't in French, so does that mean French ppl can park wherever they want and have their ticket thrown out in court due to the language barrier? Like the "NO STANDING" signs, there's none in french.

[abu_sme]

only in Canada...