- R. v. Gladstone
SCCInfoBox
case-name=R. v. Gladstone
full-case-name=Donald Gladstone and William Gladstone v. Her Majesty The Queen
heard-date=November 27-29, 1995
decided-date=August 21, 1996
citations= [1996] 2 S.C.R. 723
history=
ruling=Gladstone appeal allowed
ratio=
SCC=1992-1997
Majority=Lamer C.J.
JoinMajority=Sopinka, Gonthier, Cory, Iacobucci and Major JJ.
Concurrence=L’Heureux‑Dubé J.
Concurrence2=McLachlin J.
Dissent=La Forest J.
LawsApplied="R. v. Van der Peet ", [1996] 2 S.C.R. 507"R. v. Gladstone", [1996] 2 S.C.R. 723 is a leading
Supreme Court of Canada decision on aboriginal treaty rights under section 35 of the "Constitution Act, 1982 ". The Court modified the Sparrow test for theextinguishment of aboriginal rights to give more deference to the government in protecting commercial fishing rights.Background
William and Donald Gladstone were members of the Heiltsuk Band in British Columbia. They were both charged with selling herring spawn contrary to the federal "Fisheries Act". In their defence, the brothers claimed that they had a right to sell herrings under section 35 of the "Constitution Act, 1982". At trial, they presented evidence showing that trade of herring spawn was a significant part of the Hieltsuk band's way of life prior to contact.
Opinion of the Court
Chief Justice Lamer, for the majority, found that there was an aboriginal right to sell herring spawn under the Van der Peet test. In analysing the rights infringement he rejected prioritizing limited natural resources as described in "R. v. Sparrow". Instead, he suggested that in the regulation of commercial fishing the regard should be given to regional fairness among all people when distributing fishing resources.
ee also
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List of Supreme Court of Canada cases (Lamer Court) External links
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