List of Supreme Court of Canada cases (McLachlin Court)

This is a chronological list of notable cases decided by the Supreme Court of Canada from the appointment of Beverley McLachlin as Chief Justice of Canada to her retirement in 2017.

2000–2004 Case name Citation Date SubjectJanuary 7, 2000 - Appointment of Beverley McLachlin as Chief Justice of CanadaArsenault-Cameron v Prince Edward IslandJanuary 13, 2000language rightsReference re Firearms ActJune 15, 2000Criminal law powerLovelace v Ontario July 20, 2000Aboriginal gamingR v OickleSeptember 29, 2000Common law rule of confessionsR v DarrachOctober 12, 2000Rape shield lawR v MorriseySeptember 29, 2000Cruel and unusual punishmentR v StarrSeptember 29, 2000Hearsay exceptionBlencoe v British Columbia (Human Rights Commission)October 5, 2000Human Rights CommissionFree World Trust v Électro Santé IncDecember 15, 2000Patent claim constructionLittle Sisters Book and Art Emporium v Canada (Minister of Justice)December 15, 2000ObscenityR v LatimerJanuary 18, 2001EuthanasiaR v SharpeJanuary 26, 2001Freedom of expressionUnited States v BurnsFebruary 15, 2001Extradition, death penalty, section 7, section 12R v RuzicApril 20, 2001Defence of duressTrinity Western University v British Columbia College of TeachersMay 17, 2001Religion in schools; judicial reviewMitchell v MNRMay 24, 2001Aboriginal rightsTherrien (Re)June 7, 2001Judicial independenceR v Pan; R v SawyerJune 29, 2001Section 7, juries, disclosureLaw Society of British Columbia v MangatOctober 18, 2001Paramountcy doctrine; practice of lawR v Advance Cutting & Coring Ltd 3 SCR 209, 2001 SCC 70October 19, 2001Labour relations, freedom of associationR v NetteNovember 15, 2001Criminal causationCooper v Hobart November 16, 2001Duty of care in tortsDunmore v Ontario (AG)December 20, 2001Freedom of associationSuresh v Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration)January 11, 2002Constitutional challenge of deportationAhani v Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration)January 11, 2002Constitutional challenge of deportationRetail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, Local 558 v Pepsi-Cola Canada Beverages (West) LtdJanuary 24, 2002Freedom of expression; secondary picketingWard v Canada (AG)February 22, 2002Division of powersThéberge v Galerie d'Art du Petit Champlain IncMarch 28, 2002CopyrightR v HandyJune 21, 2002Similar fact evidence ruleR v HallOctober 10, 2002Bail, section 11(e)Sauvé v Canada (Chief Electoral Officer)October 31, 2002Right to vote for prisonersHarvard College v Canada (Commissioner of Patents)December 5, 2002Harvard mouse, patenting higher lifeformsApotex Inc v Wellcome Foundation LtdDecember 5, 2002PatentsNova Scotia (AG) v WalshDecember 19, 2002Marital status and equality rightsGosselin v Quebec (AG)December 19, 2002Constitutional entitlement to social assistanceChamberlain v Surrey School District No 36December 20, 2002Religion in schools; school board book selectionsSiemens v Manitoba (AG)January 30, 2003Criminal law power; constitutionality of ban on video lottery terminals Dr Q v College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia April 3, 2003Judicial reviewMiglin v MiglinApril 17, 2003Separation agreementsR v BuhayJune 5, 2003Exclusion of evidence, search and seizureStarson v SwayzeJune 6, 2003Capacity to consent to medical treatmentTrociuk v British Columbia (AG)June 6, 2003Section 15 equality rightsFigueroa v Canada (AG)June 27, 2003Right to run for officeR v Asante-MensahJuly 11, 2003Citizens' powers of arrestNova Scotia (Workers' Compensation Board) v Martin; Nova Scotia (Workers' Compensation Board) v LaseurOctober 3, 2003Constitution and tribunalsDoucet-Boudreau v Nova Scotia (Minister of Education)November 6, 2003 The scope of section 24(1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and FreedomsBeals v SaldanhaDecember 18, 2003Conflict of lawsR v Malmo-Levine; R v CaineDecember 23, 2003Possession of marijuana charter challengeR v ClayDecember 23, 2003Possession of marijuana charter challenge (second)Canadian Foundation for Children, Youth and the Law v Canada (AG)January 30, 2004Spanking allowed under charterCCH Canadian Ltd v Law Society of Upper CanadaMarch 4, 2004Copyright infringement, fair dealingMonsanto Canada Inc v SchmeiserMay 21, 2004PatentsHarper v Canada (AG)May 18, 2004Freedom of speech, federal electionsSociety of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada v Canadian Assn of Internet Providers 2 S.C.R. 427, 2004 SCC 45June 30, 2004Internet service providers as common carriers. Status of caches.Syndicat Northcrest v AmselemJune 30, 2004Freedom of religionR v MannJuly 23, 2004Section 8 search and seizureHodge v Canada (Minister of Human Resources Development)October 28, 2004Equality rights and comparator groupsNewfoundland (Treasury Board) v Newfoundland and Labrador Assn of Public and Private EmployeesOctober 28, 2004Equality, gender discriminationR v TesslingOctober 29, 2004Privacy rights, section 8, thermal imagingPeoples Department Stores Inc (Trustee of) v WiseOctober 29, 2004Director liabilityAuton (Guardian ad litem of) v British Columbia (AG)November 19, 2004Non-core services medical services not guaranteed under charterReference Re Same-Sex Marriage December 9, 2004Extension of civil marriage to same-sex couples

2005–2009 Case name Citation Date SubjectR v KrymowskiFebruary 24, 2005Hate speechGosselin (Tutor of) v Quebec (AG)March 31, 2005Language rightsCasimir v Quebec (AG)March 31, 2005Language rightsCanada (House of Commons) v VaidMay 20, 2005Parliamentary privilegeChaoulli v Quebec (AG) June 9, 2005Private health insurance; section 7Mugesera v Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration)June 28, 2005Crimes against humanity; removal; judicial reviewR v Marshall; R v BernardJuly 20, 2005Aboriginal logging rightsProvincial Court Judges' Assn of New Brunswick v New Brunswick (Minister of Justice)July 22, 2005Judicial independenceBritish Columbia v Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd September 29, 2005Gov't actions against tobacco companiesR v TurcotteSeptember 30, 2005Right to silenceEB v Order of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in the Province of British ColumbiaOctober 28, 2005Vicarious liabilityMontréal (City of) v 2952-1366 Québec IncNovember 3, 2005Freedom of expressionKirkbi AG v Ritvik Holdings IncNovember 17, 2005Trade-marksCharlebois v Saint John (City of)December 15, 2005Minority language rights in New BrunswickR v LabayeDecember 21, 2005Defining "indecent" in criminal codeR v KouriDecember 21, 2005Sister case to R. v. LabayeMultani v Commission scolaire Marguerite‑BourgeoysMarch 2, 2006Freedom of religion; banning kirpans in schoolR v RodgersApril 27, 2006DNA collectionChilds v DesormeauxMay 5, 2006Social host liabilityMattel Inc v 3894207 Canada IncJune 2, 2006Registered trademark infringementRobertson v Thomson CorpOctober 12, 2006Copyright in database contentPro Swing Inc v Elta Golf IncNovember 17, 2006Conflict of laws, enforcement of foreign judgmentR v KhelawonDecember 14, 2006Hearsay evidenceCharkaoui v Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration)February 23, 2007Security certificates of terror suspectCanada (AG) v HislopMarch 1, 2007Charter; section 15 equality rightsR v BryanMarch 15, 2007Publishing early election resultsCanadian Western Bank v AlbertaMay 31, 2007Federalism and separation of powersR v HapeJune 7, 2007Extraterritoriality; cross-border crime; section 8 of the charterHealth Services and Support – Facilities Subsector Bargaining Assn. v British Columbia 2 SCR 391, 2007 SCC 27June 8, 2007Freedom of association; collective bargainingKerr v Danier Leather Inc October 12, 2007Business judgment ruleDunsmuir v New Brunswick 1 SCR 190, 2008 SCC 9March 7, 2008Standard of reviewR v Kang-BrownApril 25, 2008Section 8, constitutionality of sniffer dog, informational privacyR v AMApril 25, 2008Section 8, constitutionality of sniffer dog, informational privacyR v DBMay 16, 2008Section 7 of the charter; presumptive youth offencesHonda Canada Inc v KeaysJune 27, 2008Superseding Wallace v United Grain Growers Ltd in determining how damages for wrongful dismissal are assessed where there is bad faith in how the employer handles termination of employmentApotex Inc v Sanofi-Synthelabo Canada IncNovember 6, 2008Canadian patent lawCanada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) v KhosaMarch 6, 2009Standard of review in administrative lawBMP Global Distribution Inc v Bank of Nova ScotiaApril 2, 2009Restitution and tracingR v PatrickApril 9, 2009Section 8 of the charter; search and seizure, reasonable expectation of privacy, informational privacy R v GrantJune 17, 2009Definition of detention; analytical framework for section 24(2) of the charterR v HarrisonJune 17, 2009Application of section 24(2) of the charter to egregious police conductAlberta v Hutterian Brethren of Wilson ColonyJuly 24, 2009Constitutionality of conflict between mandatory license photographs and freedom of religionMiazga v Kvello EstateNovember 6, 2009Tort of malicious prosecutionR v BasiNovember 19, 2009Informer privilegeGrant v Torstar CorpDecember 22, 2009Tort of defamation, defence of responsible communication

2010–2017