List of Supreme Court of Canada cases (Richards Court through Fauteux Court)

This is a chronological list of notable cases decided by the Supreme Court of Canada from the formation of the Court in 1875 to the retirement of Gérald Fauteux in 1973.

Note that the Privy Council heard appeals for criminal cases until 1933 and for civil cases until 1949. Also between 1888 and 1926, no criminal appeals were allowed to the Privy Council.

1875–99

Case name	Citation	Date	Subject
April 8, 1875 – Act of Parliament creates the Supreme Court of Canada
Kelly v. Sulivan	(1876)		First case heard by Supreme Court of Canada

1900 – 1949

Case name	Citation	Date	Subject
Quong Wing v. R.	(1914), 49 S.C.R. 44		Constitutionality of provincial statute regulating "Chinamen"
Bedard v. Dawson	[1923] S.C.R. 681	June 15, 1923	Federalism and criminal law
R. v. Eastern Terminal Elevator Co.	[1925]		Trade and Commerce power.
Edwards v. Canada (Attorney General)	[1928] S.C.R. 276		"Persons Case"
1933 – Statute of Westminster, no more criminal appeals to Privy Council
Reference re Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act	[1934] S.C.R. 659
Reference Re Alberta Statutes	[1938] S.C.R. 100
Re Eskimos	[1939] S.C.R. 104		Constitutional status of Inuit
Christie v. York	(1939), [1940] S.C.R. 139		racial discrimination
Home Oil Distributors Ltd v. Attorney General of British Columbia	[1940] S.C.R. 444
Provincial Secretary of Prince Edward Island v. Egan	[1941] S.C.R. 396		division of powers
Reference re Persons of Japanese Race	[1946] S.C.R. 248		constitutionality of Japanese deportation order
Margarine Reference	[1949]		Defining criminal law under the constitution
1949 – no more civil appeals to the Privy Council

1950 – 1959

Case name	Citation	Date	Subject
Frey v. Fedoruk et al.	[1950] S.C.R. 517		Breach of the peace, peeping toms
Noble v. Alley	[1951] S.C.R. 64	December 18, 1950
Boucher v. R.	[1951] S.C.R. 265		Seditious libel
Johannesson v. West St. Paul	[1952] 1 S.C.R. 292
Azoulay v. The Queen	[1952] 2 S.C.R. 495		Abortion
Saumur v. The City of Quebec	[1953] 2 S.C.R. 299
Henry Birks & Sons (Montreal) Ltd. v. the City of Montreal	[1955] S.C.R. 799
Reference Re Farm Products Marketing Act	[1957] S.C.R. 198
Switzman v. Elbling	[1957] S.C.R. 285		constitutional division of powers
Beaver v. R.	[1957] S.C.R. 531	June 26, 1957	subjective mens rea required for possession
Priestman v. Colangelo	[1959]		Duty of Care in public service conduct.
Roncarelli v. Duplessis	[1959] S.C.R. 121		constitution, arbitrary action by government.

1960 – 1969

Case name	Citation	Date	Subject
August 10, 1960 – Canadian Bill of Rights was enacted.
O'Grady v. Sparling	[1960] S.C.R. 804
R. v. George	[1960] S.C.R. 871		intoxication defence
McKay v. The Queen	[1965] S.C.R. 798		Election law
Munro v. National Capital Commission	[1966] S.C.R. 663		powers of the NCC to expropriate and use land
Peso Silver Mines Ltd. (N.P.L.) v. Cropper	[1966] S.C.R. 673	June 20, 1966	director fiduciary duties
Carnation Co. v. Quebec Agricultural Marketing Board	[1968] S.C.R. 238		overlap of provincial law with federal commerce laws
R. v. Whitfield	[1969]		Definition of arrest
Walter v. Attorney General of Alberta	[1969] S.C.R. 383		division of powers; law excluding hutterites.

1970–73

Case name	Citation	Date	Subject
R. v. Drybones	[1970] S.C.R. 282	November 20, 1969	Canadian Bill of Rights
Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company v. Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd.	[1970] S.C.R. 833	April 28, 1970	Patents
R. v. Wray	[1971] S.C.R. 272	June 26, 1970	pre-Charter right to silence
Caloil Inc. v the Attorney General of Canada	[1971] S.C.R. 543	November 24, 1970	Trade and Commerce power, Constitution Act, 1867
AG Manitoba v. Manitoba Egg and Poultry Association	[1971] S.C.R. 689	June 28, 1971	Trade and Commerce power, Constitution Act, 1867
Horsley v. MacLaren (The Ogopogo)	[1972] S.C.R. 441	October 5, 1971	civil duty to rescue
Duke v. The Queen	[1972] S.C.R. 917	June 29, 1972	fundamental justice
Tennessee Eastman Co. v. Commissioner of Patents	[1974] S.C.R. 111	December 22, 1972	Patents
Calder v. British Columbia (Attorney General)	[1973] S.C.R. 313	January 31, 1973	Aboriginal land title
Canadian Aero Service Ltd. v. O'Malley	[1974] S.C.R. 592	June 29, 1973	Fiduciary duty owed by corporate officers

See also

• List of Judicial Committee of the Privy Council cases
• List of notable Canadian Courts of Appeals cases