|
|
ÐAppeal€set€aside€this€finding€of€fact,€but€the€majority€dismissed€the€appeal€on€the€groundÐ Ô/p)4 Ðthat€the€municipality€was€not€responsible€for€the€unavailability€of€land€and€was€under€noÐ d Ðpositive€obligation€to€preserve€freedom€of€religion.Ð ü ˜ ÐÌà œ àò òHeldó ó€(Major,€Bastarache,€LeBel€and€Deschamps€JJ.€dissenting):€€The€appealÐ , È Ðshould€be€allowed.Ð Ä ` ÐÌà œ àò òPer€ó óMcLachlin€C.J.€and€Iacobucci,€Binnie,€Arbour€and€Fish€JJ.:€€In€weighingÐ ô Ðthe€merits€of€the€Congregationð ðs€rezoning€requests,€the€Municipality€was€discharging€aÐ Œ ( Ðduty€delegated€to€it€by€the€Legislature.€€The€Municipality€was€bound€to€exercise€theÐ $ À Ðpowers€conferred€upon€it€fairly,€in€good€faith€and€with€a€view€to€the€public€interest.€€TheÐ ¼ X ÐMunicipality€did€not€fulfill€its€duty€of€procedural€fairness€in€responding€to€the€second€andÐ T ð Ðthird€rezoning€applications€brought€by€the€Congregation€because€the€Municipality€gaveÐ ì ˆ Ðno€reasons€for€its€denial.Ð „ ÐÌà œ àWhen€making€an€administrative€decision€affecting€individual€rights,Ð ´ P Ðprivileges€or€interests,€a€public€body€like€a€municipality€is€bound€by€a€duty€of€proceduralÐ L è Ðfairness€whose€content€varies€according€to€five€factors.€€In€this€case,€a€review€of€theseÐ ä € Ðfactors€indicates€that€the€Municipalityð ðs€duty€of€procedural€fairness€to€the€CongregationÐ |! " Ðwas€heightened€by€the€aggravated€potential€for€abuse€of€discretionary€statutory€authority,Ð #° $ Ðthe€absence€of€an€appeal€provision,€the€expectations€established€by€the€Municipalityð ðsÐ ¬$H & Ðown€conduct€in€responding€to€the€Congregationð ðs€first€rezoning€application,€and€theÐ D&à ( Ðimportance€of€the€decision€to€the€Congregation,€impacting€as€it€did€on€the€right€of€theÐ Ü'x!* ÐCongregation€to€practice€the€religion€of€its€choice.€€Little€deference€is€due€to€theÐ t) #, ÐMunicipalityð ðs€decisions€concerning€the€second€and€third€applications€for€rezoningÐ +¨$. Ðbecause€there€is€no€record€to€indicate€that€the€Municipality€has€actually€engaged€itsÐ ¤,@&0 Ðâ âexpertise€in€evaluating€the€applications.€€These€factors€suggest€that€the€Municipality€wasÐ
|
|
|
Ðailleurs,€les€droits€prot g s€par€lð ðal.€2ò òaó ó)€de€la€ò òCharte€ó óne€sont€pas€absolus.€€Dð ðabord,€laÐ Ô/p)4 Ðlibert €de€religion€est€limit e€par€les€droits€et€libert s€des€autres.€La€diversit €des€opinionsÐ d Ðet€des€convictions€exige€la€tol rance€mutuelle€et€le€respect€dð ðautrui.€Ensuite,€bien€que€leÐ ü ˜ Ðr glement€de€zonage€par€sa€nature€m me€ne€laisse€pas€aux€t moins€de€J hovah€une€Ð ” 0 Ðlibert €absolue€de€choisir€lð ðemplacement€de€leur€lieu€de€culte,€cette€limite€est€n cessaireÐ , È Ð €la€pr servation€de€la€s curit €et€de€lð ðordre€au€sein€de€la€municipalit €et€au€bon€usage€deÐ Ä ` Ðson€territoire€et€ne€constitue€pas€une€violation€de€la€libert €de€religion.€Enfin,€les€ glisesÐ \ ø Ðet€leurs€membres€ne€sont€pas€dispens s€de€tout€effort,€voire€de€tout€sacrifice,€notammentÐ ô Ðpour€lð ðexercice€de€la€libert €de€culte.€Comme€au€moins€un€terrain€reste€disponible€dansÐ Œ ( Ðla€zone€communautaire€r gionale,€les€t moins€de€J hovah€doivent€se€conformer€auÐ $ À Ðr glement€de€zonage€de€la€municipalit €et€construire€leur€lieu€de€culte€dans€la€zone€o €cetÐ ¼ X Ðusage€est€autoris .Ð T ð ÐÌà œ àDans€lð ðhypoth se€o €aucun€terrain€ne€serait€disponible€dans€la€zoneÐ „ Ðcommunautaire€r gionale,€il€y€aurait€atteinte€ €la€libert €de€religion€prot g e€par€lð ðal.€2ò òaó ó)Ð ¸ Ðde€la€ò òCharteó ó,€car€la€construction€dð ðun€lieu€de€culte,€qui€fait€partie€int grante€deò òó ó€cetteÐ ´ P Ðlibert ,€serait€impossible€sur€le€territoire€de€la€municipalit .€€Cette€atteinte€r sulterait€nonÐ L è Ðpas€de€lð ðexistence€du€r glement€de€zonage,€mais€plutð= ðt€du€refus€de€lð ðadapter€ €lð ð volutionÐ ä € Ðdes€besoins€collectifs.€Bien€que,€en€r gle€g n rale,€la€ò òCharte€ó ónð ðoblige€pas€lð ð tat€ €prendreÐ |! " Ðdes€mesures€positives€pour€assurer€lð ðexercice€des€libert s€fondamentales€garanties€ Ð #° $ Ðlð ðal.2ò òaó ó),€et€que€lð ð tat€doive€m me€sð ðabstenir€de€prendre€une€mesure€qui€pourraitÐ ¬$H & Ðfavoriser€une€religion€au€d triment€de€lð ðautre,€€il€sð ðagirait€en€lð ðesp ce€dð ðune€situationÐ D&à ( Ðexceptionnelle€o €la€libert €de€religion€ne€pourrait€avoir€une€signification€r elle€sans€uneÐ Ü'x!* Ðintervention€positive€des€pouvoirs€publics.€€La€municipalit €devrait€donc€modifier€leÐ t) #, Ðr glement.Ð +¨$. ÐÌà œ àSð ðil€y€avait€eu€violation€de€la€ò òCharteó ó,€seul€aurait€ t €possible€et€appropri €unÐ
|