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Ðofficer€pulled€Mr.T treault€over€and€noted€that€his€driverð ðs€licence€had€expired.€€At€hisÐ Ô/p)4 Ðtrial,€the€respondent€stated€that,€given€his€age,€he€had€been€driving€for€only€a€few€years.€Ð d ÐFor€this€reason,€he€was€unaware€that€the€date€appearing€on€his€licence€was€the€date€theÐ ü ˜ Ðlicence€expired€rather€than€a€payment€due€date.€€He€pointed€out€that€new€licences€issuedÐ ” 0 Ðby€the€SAAQ€now€distinguish€between€the€two€dates.Ý ƒ % ÑýÇM âM ݌Р, È ÐŒÝ ÝÌÓ Ü , ‚X ž ø Ü 8 ô Ü , ‚X œ ø Ü 8 ¼ ÓIII.à0 ž àò òJudicial€Historyó óÐ \ ø ž Ð ž Ð ÐÓ @ Ü , ‚X œ ø Ü 8 ¼ Ü , ‚X ž ø Ü 8 ¼ \Q @ ÓÌÝ ‚ % Ñýÿ ÝÝ ÝÝ ‚ % Ñý R Ýà „ àÚ ƒ z Ú5Ú ÚÛ € z Ûà Ü àÝ Ýà œ àThe€Municipal€Court€of€the€city€of€L vis€heard€both€complaints.€€TheÐ Œ ( Ðrespondents€argued€that€the€relevant€provisions€of€the€ò òSafety€Codeó ó€create€a€strict€liabilityÐ $ À Ðoffence€and€that€they€had€exercised€due€diligence.€€The€court€accepted€this€defence€andÐ ¼ X Ðacquitted€both€respondents.€€On€March8,2004,€the€Superior€Court€dismissed€theÐ T ð Ðprosecutionð ðs€appeals€pursuant€to€the€ò òC.P.P.ó ó€([2004]€Q.J.€No.€2571€(QL)).€€In€its€view,Ð ì ˆ Ðthe€ò òSafety€Codeó ó€created€strict€liability€offences.€€In€Mr.T treaultð ðs€case,€the€SuperiorÐ „ ÐCourt€accepted€the€respondentð ðs€defence€of€due€diligence.€€In€the€companyð ðs€case,€itÐ ¸ Ðfound€that€the€company€had€made€out€the€defences€of€due€diligence€and€officiallyÐ ´ P Ðinduced€error.€€The€city€then€tried€to€appeal€to€the€Quebec€Court€of€Appeal.€€OnÐ L è ÐApril14,2004,€a€judge€of€the€Quebec€Court€of€Appeal,€relying€on€that€courtð ðs€case€law,Ð ä € Ðdismissed€the€cityð ðs€applications€for€leave€to€appeal€in€these€two€cases€([2004]€Q.J.€No.Ð |! " Ð4541€(QL),€[2004]€Q.J.€No.€4540€(QL)).€€The€cases€are€now€before€this€Court.Ý ƒ % Ñý R 9R ݌Р#° $ ÐŒÝ ÝÌÓ Ü , ‚X ž ø Ü 8 ô Ü , ‚X œ ø Ü 8 ¼ ÓIV.à0 ž àò òAnalysisó óÐ D&à ( ž Ð ž Ð ÐÌA.à0 ž àò òThe€Issuesó óÐ t) #, ž Ð ž Ð ÐÓ @ Ü , ‚X œ ø Ü 8 ¼ Ü , ‚X ž ø Ü 8 ¼ ÙW @ ÓÌÝ ‚ % Ñýÿ ÝÝ ÝÝ ‚ % ÑýÐX Ýà „ àÚ ƒ z Ú6Ú ÚÛ € z Ûà Ü àÝ Ýà œ àIn€these€two€appeals,€the€Court€is€asked€to€consider€the€nature€of€the€offencesÐ ¤,@&0 Ðwith€which€the€accused€are€charged€and€of€the€defences€available€to€them.€€DespiteÐ
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