R. v. Wholesale Travel Group Inc.

R. v. Wholesale Travel Group Inc. , is a leading Supreme Court of Canada case on the distinction between "true crime" and regulatory offences.

Background

Wholesale Travel sold vacation packages which it advertised as being at "wholesale prices" when, in fact, they were not wholesale prices at all. The company was charged with five counts of false or misleading advertising contrary to s. 36(1)(a) of the federal Competition Act. The charge was a hybrid offence that could be either an indictment consisting of a fine and prison term under 5 years, or a summary conviction consisting of a fine and a prison term under a year.

At trial, the judge held that ss. 36 and 37.3, which allowed for a due diligence defence, were in violation of ss. 7 and 11 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Crown's appeal for a dismissal was allowed and the case was resubmitted for trial. At appeal, the Court of Appeal for Ontario upheld the order for a trial. The accused applied to the Supreme Court of Canada and was rejected the first time but was accepted on a second appeal.

The issue before the Court was whether s. 37.3(2) of the Competition Act violated s. 7 of the Charter (which safeguards the "security of the person").

Ruling

The Court unanimously held that offences for which the mens rea component is negligence do not violate s. 7 of the Charter when a due diligence defence (s. 37.3(2)(a) and (b)) is available, but that the "timely...
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