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Housen v Nikolaisen; 28 Mar 2002

References: [2002] 2 SCR 235, 2002 SCC 33
Links: SCC
Coram: McLachlin CJ and L’Heureux-Dube, Gonthier, Iacobucci, Major, Bastarache, Binnie, Arbour and LeBel JJ
Supreme Court of Canada – Torts – Motor vehicles – Highways – Negligence – Liability of rural municipality for failing to post warning signs on local access road — Passenger sustaining injuries in motor vehicle accident on rural road — Trial judge apportioning part of liability to rural municipality — Whether Court of Appeal properly overturning trial judge’s finding of negligence — The Rural Municipality Act, 1989, S.S. 1989-90, c. R-26.1, s. 192.
Municipal law — Negligence — Liability of rural municipality for failing to post warning signs on local access road — Passenger sustaining injuries in motor vehicle accident on rural road — Trial judge apportioning part of liability to rural municipality — Whether Court of Appeal properly overturning trial judge’s finding of negligence — The Rural Municipality Act, 1989, S.S. 1989-90, c. R-26.1, s. 192.
Appeals — Courts — Standard of appellate review — Whether Court of Appeal properly overturning trial judge’s finding of negligence — Standard of review for questions of mixed fact and law.
‘The trial judge has sat through the entire case and his ultimate judgment reflects this total familiarity with the evidence. The insight gained by the trial judge who has lived with the case for several days, weeks or even months may be far deeper than that of the Court of Appeal whose view of the case is much more limited and narrow, often being shaped and distorted by the various orders or rulings being challenged.’
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