View source for Summary Dismissal Applications

{{Currency|April 2023}}
{{LevelZero}}{{HeaderPreTrial}}

==General Principles==
{{seealso|Applications and Motions Procedure}}
There is "no absolute right to a voir dire" where a ''Charter'' right is claimed to have been violated.<ref> 
{{CanLIIRP|Bains|294qt|2010 BCCA 178 (CanLII)|254 CCC (3d) 170}}{{perBCCA|D. Smith J}}{{atL|294qt|69}}<br>
{{CanLIIRx|Mehan|gww5r|2017 BCCA 21 (CanLII)}}{{perBCCA|D. Smith J}}  <br>
</ref>

Before dismissing the application the judge must give the applicant notice of the intention and permit an opportunity to make submissions.<Ref>
{{ibid1|Iraheta}}
</ref>

; Evidence
The threshold to grant an evidentiary hearing is a "low" one.<ref>
{{CanLIIRx|Hamdan|h31t1|2017 BCSC 562 (CanLII)}}{{perBCSC|Butler J}}
</ref>
It is only necessary that the evidentiary hearing "would assist" or "can assist" to determine the "real issue."<ref>
{{CanLIIRx|Mehan|gww5r|2017 BCCA 21 (CanLII)}}{{perBCCA|D. Smith JA}}{{atsL|gww5r|44| to 47}}<br>
</ref>

A judge may decline to hold an evidentiary hearing into a alleged Charter breach if there is no remedy available.<ref>
{{CanLIIRx|Mastronardi|gkcdd|2015 BCCA 338 (CanLII)}}{{perBCCA| Kirkpatrick JA}}{{atL|gkcdd|63}}<br>
</ref>
The decision is a discretionary one and is highly contextual.<ref>
{{CanLIIRx|McDonald|g6g4x|2013 BCSC 314 (CanLII)}}{{perBCSC|Fitch J}}{{atL|g6g4x|21}}<br>
</ref>

; Procedure
Parties may request the trial judge to hold a summary dismissal hearing (sometimes called a "Cody hearing" or a "Vukelich hearing") to determine whether the Court should decline any request to hold a voir dire, including ''Charter'' motions.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Cody|h4bfk|2017 SCC 31 (CanLII)|[2017] 1 SCR 659}}{{TheCourtSCC}}{{atL|h4bfk|38}} ("trial judges should use their case management powers to minimize delay.  For example, before permitting an application to proceed, a trial judge should consider whether it has a reasonable prospect of success. This may entail asking defence counsel to summarize the evidence it anticipates eliciting in the voir dire and, where that summary reveals no basis upon which the application could succeed, dismissing the application summarily ...  ...This screening function applies equally to Crown applications and requests. As a best practice, all counsel — Crown and defence — should take appropriate opportunities to ask trial judges to exercise such discretion.")<br>
{{CanLIIRP|Vukelich|1f0d7|1996 CanLII 1005 (BC CA)|[1996] BCJ No 1535; 108 CCC (3d) 193}}{{perBCCA|McEachern JA}}{{atsL|1f0d7|25| to 26}}<br>
see also {{CanLIIRP|Kapp|1nj7p|2006 BCCA 277 (CanLII)|271 DLR (4th) 70}}{{perBCCA|Low JA}}, appeal dismissed at [http://canlii.ca/t/1z476 2008 SCC 41] (CanLII){{perSCC-H|McLachlin CJ and Abella J}}<br>
{{CanLIIRP|Kutynec|g126b|1992 CanLII 7751 (ON CA)|70 CCC (3d) 289}}{{perONCA|Finlayson JA}} at pp. 287-89<Br>
</ref>

Certain other provinces have similar powers under civil procedure rules to dismiss applications for lack of merit.<ref>
{{CanLIIRx|Sutherland|gxkdv|2017 BCPC 42 (CanLII)}}{{perBCPC|Gouge J}}{{atL|gxkdv|11}}<br>
</ref>

There are certain provinces that have superior court civil procedure rules (CPR) that govern applications including for criminal matters.

Ontario CPR Rule 34.02 permits dismissal of an application, based on materials filed, to be dismissed where there is "no reasonable prospect" of success. This rule promotes efficiency and the correct results.<REf>
{{CanLIIRx|Glegg|jd8v4|2021 ONCA 100 (CanLII)}}{{perONCA|Watt JA}}{{atL|jd8v4|36}}
</ref>
The procedure must be informal or else will defeat the purpose of the power.<Ref>
{{ibid1|Glegg}} at para 37
</ref>

{{reflist|2}}
==="Manifestly Frivolous" Test===
The judge has the obligation to dismiss the application the moment it becomes apparent as being "manifestly frivolous".<Ref>
{{supra1|Cody}}{{atL|h4bfk|38}} ("trial judges should not hesitate to summarily dismiss “applications and requests the moment it becomes apparent they are frivolous”")<br>
{{CanLIIRP|Haevischer|jwwm7|2023 SCC 11 (CanLII)}}{{perSCC|Martin J}}
</ref>
There must be a "obvious necessity of failure". The application must be one that "would never succeed" and would "by definition, waste court time."<Ref>
{{ibid1|Haevischer}} at paras 71 and 72<br>
</ref>

{{reflist|2}}
<!--The judge may summarily dismiss Charter motions where there is non-compliance with the notice requirements or the motion is "frivolous".<Ref>
{{CanLIIRx|Iraheta|jc401|2020 ONCA 766 (CanLII)}}{{perONCA|Paciocco JA}}
</ref>

The hearing is premised on the notion that there "is no point to the airing of a Charter issue in a criminal or quasi-criminal proceeding unless resolution of the issue might lead to the end of the prosecution or to the exclusion of evidence."<ref>
{{ibid1|Kapp}}{{atsL|1nj7p|94| to 95}}<br>
</ref>

It is important for judges to dismiss applications that have no reasonable prospects of success as it "unclutters the proceedings", "weeds out the hopeless", and puts the judge's attention to the matters that have reasonable prospects of success.<REf>
{{ibid1|Glegg}} at para 36<Br>
{{CanLIIRP|Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd||2011 SCC 42 (CanLII)|[2011] 3 S.C.R. 45}}{{perSCC|J}}{{AtL||19}}
</ref>
{{reflist|2}}
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