R. v. Boucher

R. v. Boucher
Collection
Supreme Court Judgments
Date
2005-12-02
Neutral citation
2005 SCC 72
Report
[2005] 3 SCR 499
Case number
30256
Judges
McLachlin, Beverley; Major, John C.; Bastarache, Michel; Binnie, William Ian Corneil; LeBel, Louis; Deschamps, Marie; Fish, Morris J.; Abella, Rosalie Silberman; Charron, Louise
On appeal from
Quebec
Subjects
Criminal law
Notes
SCC Case Information: 30256
Decision Content
SUPREME COURT OF CANADA
Citation: R. v. Boucher, [2005] 3 S.C.R. 499, 2005 SCC 72
Date: 20051202
Docket: 30256
Between:
Her Majesty The Queen
Appellant
and
Éric Boucher
Respondent
Official English Translation
Coram: McLachlin C.J. and Major, Bastarache, Binnie, LeBel, Deschamps, Fish, Abella and Charron JJ.
Reasons for Judgment:
(paras. 1 to 50)
Dissenting reasons:
(paras. 51 to 67)
Deschamps J. (McLachlin C.J. and Major, Bastarache and Abella JJ. concurring)
Charron J. (Binnie, LeBel and Fish JJ. concurring)
______________________________
R. v. Boucher, [2005] 3 S.C.R. 499, 2005 SCC 72
Her Majesty The Queen Appellant
v.
Éric Boucher Respondent
Indexed as: R. v. Boucher
Neutral citation: 2005 SCC 72.
File No.: 30256.
2005: May 10; 2005: December 2.
Present: McLachlin C.J. and Major, Bastarache, Binnie, LeBel, Deschamps, Fish, Abella and Charron JJ.
on appeal from the court of appeal for quebec
Criminal law — Evidence — Operation of vehicle with blood alcohol level exceeding legal limit — Presumption of accuracy of breathalyzer test result — Evidence to contrary adduced to rebut presumption — Credibility of accused — Defence expert asserting that blood alcohol levels of accused not corresponding to levels person with his physical characteristics would have after consumption alleged by defence — Trial judge finding accused’s testimony not credible and rejecting expert evidence — Accused found guilty — Whether expert opinion based on testimony that not credible can constitute evidence to contrary — Whether there other evidence that could raise reasonable doubt — Whether appropriate to intervene in trial judge’s assessment of credibility of accused — Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C‑46, s. 258(1) (g).
The accused was charged in Municipal Court with operating a vehicle while his blood alcohol level exceeded the legal limit. His blood analysis certificates indicated 93 and 92 mg. He testified that he had drunk two large beers during the few hours prior to his arrest. The defence expert asserted that, where a person with the accused’s physical characteristics consumed this amount, the normal result would be much less than the level recorded on the certificates. The trial judge found the accused guilty. In her opinion, the accused’s testimony was not credible, and she rejected the related expert opinion. She concluded that the statutory presumption in s. 258(1) (g) of the Criminal Code that the test results were accurate had not been rebutted. On appeal, the Superior Court set aside the guilty verdict on the basis that the evidence as a whole, including the expert’s testimony, raised a reasonable doubt in favour of the accused. The majority of the Court of Appeal affirmed the acquittal.
Held (Binnie, LeBel, Fish and Charron JJ. dissenting in part): The appeal should be allowed and the guilty verdict restored.
Per McLachlin C.J. and Major, Bastarache, Deschamps and Abella JJ.: The standard of proof that must be met to rebut the presumption of accuracy is reasonable doubt. The defence has no burden of proof. Evidence to the contrary that raises a reasonable doubt that the certificate correctly reflects the blood alcohol level at the time when the offence was alleged to have been committed is sufficient to rebut the presumption under s. 258(1) (g). In the case at bar, it cannot be found based on the evidence that there is a reasonable doubt as to the accuracy of the results of the breathalyzer tests. The trial judge rejected the accused’s testimony on the basis that it was not credible, and an expert opinion based on that testimony cannot constitute evidence to the contrary. Furthermore, the expert evidence merely provides theoretical information without regard for the accused’s personal level of alcohol tolerance, the results of the tests themselves cannot be used to demonstrate their own inaccuracy, and the absence of symptoms of intoxication, although relevant as a defence to a charge of impaired driving, is not significant where the charge is driving with a blood alcohol level exceeding 80 mg. Finally, in concluding that only the expert evidence would have been capable of constituting evidence to the contrary if it had had any basis, the trial judge necessarily assessed the evidence as a whole. [1] [15] [21] [31] [33‑36]
In assessing the credibility of the accused, the Municipal Court judge correctly identified the applicable standard, namely reasonable doubt. It is true that she erred when she said that the evidence must not merely be reasonably true. However, this comment was not part of an instruction to a jury, and it was made immediately after she identified the standard. It reflects a problem with the wording she used. The judge also erred when she stated that the credibility of the accused and his witnesses could be assessed in light of the results of the breathalyzer tests, but she did not rely on the test results at all in her analysis of the evidence. The erroneous statements, considered in their context, did not influence her assessment of the accused’s testimony. The main reason she gave for rejecting his testimony is grounded in fact. It relates to the accused’s change of route as he approached the police roadblock. The accused was entitled not to answer the police officer’s questions at the time of the arrest. However, the trial judge could assess the whole of the accused’s testimony and conclude, in light of its flaws, that his version of the facts could not be accepted. There is no reason to intervene. [42‑44] [48‑49]
Per Binnie, LeBel, Fish and Charron JJ. (dissenting in part): In the instant case, there is nothing apart from the expert evidence based on the accused’s testimony that could constitute evidence to the contrary, and the correctness of the trial judge’s verdict therefore ultimately depends on her assessment of the accused’s credibility. In considering only whether she believed the accused without determining whether, should her response be negative, the accused had nevertheless raised a reasonable doubt in her mind about the quantity of alcohol he had actually consumed, the trial judge made a fatal error in principle. Given that this error was repeated throughout her reasons and given the statement that the accused’s evidence must not merely be reasonably true, it cannot be concluded that the error was a mere flaw in the wording she chose. Furthermore, the reasons given by the trial judge for rejecting the accused’s testimony have little weight. First, she found fault with him for remaining silent when the police officer asked him questions about his route. The right to remain silent is a principle of fundamental justice of which the accused was entitled to avail himself, and the trial judge could not draw any inference against him for having exercised that right. Second, she noted that the accused’s testimony contained a number of contradictions, which a careful reading of the transcript of the evidence reveals not to be contradictions. The trial judge imposed too heavy a burden of proof on the accused and committed a number of errors in assessing his testimony, and it is impossible to determine the extent to which those errors contributed to her rejection of that testimony. It should therefore be ordered that a new trial be held. [51] [56] [60] [63] [66‑67]
Cases Cited
By Deschamps J.
Applied: R. v. St. Pierre, [1995] 1 S.C.R. 791; R. v. Proudlock, [1979] 1 S.C.R. 525; R. v. Crosthwait, [1980] 1 S.C.R. 1089; approved: R. v. Latour (1997), 116 C.C.C. (3d) 279; R. v. Dubois (1990), 62 C.C.C. (3d) 90; R. v. Sheppard, [2002] 1 S.C.R. 869, 2002 SCC 26; R. v. Burns, [1994] 1 S.C.R. 656; R. v. Duguay, [1993] Q.J. No. 58 (QL); distinguished: R. v. W. (D.), [1991] 1 S.C.R. 742; R. v. Lifchus, [1997] 3 S.C.R. 320; disapproved: R. v. Bernard (1999), 140 C.C.C. (3d) 412; R. v. Gilbert (1994), 92 C.C.C. (3d) 266.
By Charron J. (dissenting in part)
R. v. Abbey, [1982] 2 S.C.R. 24; R. v. St. Pierre, [1995] 1 S.C.R. 791; R. v. Latour (1997), 116 C.C.C. (3d) 279; R. v. Proudlock, [1979] 1 S.C.R. 525; R. v. Dubois (1990), 62 C.C.C. (3d) 90; R. v. W. (D.), [1991] 1 S.C.R. 742; R. v. Bernard (1999), 140 C.C.C. (3d) 412; R. v. Gilbert (1994), 92 C.C.C. (3d) 266; R. v. Chambers, [1990] 2 S.C.R. 1293; R. v. Turcotte, [2005] 2 S.C.R. 519, 2005 SCC 50.
Statutes and Regulations Cited
Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C‑46, ss. 254(3) , 258(1) .
Interpretation Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I‑21, s. 25(1) .
Authors Cited
Béliveau, Pierre, et Martin Vauclair. Traité général de preuve et de procédure pénales, 11e éd. Montréal: Thémis, 2004.
APPEAL from a judgment of the Quebec Court of Appeal (Beauregard, Rothman and Forget JJ.A.), [2004] R.J.Q. 423, 183 C.C.C. (3d) 550, 22 C.R. (6th) 148, 6 M.V.R. (5th) 174, [2004] Q.J. No. 531 (QL), affirming the accused’s acquittal, [2001] Q.J. No. 4670 (QL). Appeal allowed, Binnie, LeBel, Fish and Charron JJ. dissenting in part.
Gaétan Plouffe and Germain Tremblay, for the appellant.
Alexandre St‑Onge and Marco LaBrie, for the respondent.
English version of the judgment of McLachlin C.J. and Major, Bastarache, Deschamps and Abella JJ. delivered by
1 Deschamps J. — Is an expert opinion probative if it is based on testimony that is not credible? If not, what evidence may be used to rebut the presumption of accuracy set out in s. 258(1) (g) of the Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C‑46 (“Cr. C.”), according to which the reading received on a breathalyzer test provides, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, an accurate determination of the blood alcohol level at the time of the test?
2 The Court considered questions similar to these in R. v. St. Pierre, [1995] 1 S.C.R. 791, and R. v. Proudlock, [1979] 1 S.C.R. 525. Those cases, however, did not concern the specific context of s. 258(1) (g) Cr. C. So some clarification would appear to be necessary.
3 The respondent, Eric Boucher, was charged with operating a motor vehicle while his blood alcohol level exceeded the legal limit, as that level was 93 mg according to the first breathalyzer test and 92 mg according to the second. The charge was brought before the Municipal Court of Montréal. Mr. Boucher testified that he had drunk two large beers in a tavern during the two to three hours before 2:40 a.m., the time of the arrest. He submitted expert evidence to show that the blood alcohol level recorded by the breathalyzer did not correspond to the level that a person with his physical characteristics should have had.
4 The expert expressed the opinion, based on the quantity of alcohol Mr. Boucher said he had consumed, that since the average elimination rate for a 28‑year‑old man who weighs 175 pounds and is 5'11" tall is 15 mg per hour, Mr. Boucher’s blood alcohol level should have been 45 mg at the time of the arrest. Using a less favourable absorption rate of 10 mg, Mr. Boucher’s blood alcohol level should have been 60 mg at the time the breathalyzer test was administered. The expert said that, to produce a result of 90 to 95 mg, it would have been necessary for Mr. Boucher to drink twice as much as he said he had. The expert also noted that, if the alcohol had been consumed in the moments just before the arrest, the level recorded might have differed from the level actually recorded at the time of the alleged offence, since the alcohol would not have been absorbed yet at the time of the arrest but would have been absorbed when the test was administered.
5 Judge Baribeau of the Municipal Court found Mr. Boucher guilty. She was of the opinion that his testimony was not credible and so could not serve as a basis for the expert opinion. She therefore concluded that the statutory presumption had not been rebutted:
[translation] This expert evidence is based on the defendant’s testimony about the facts. However, if the judge does not believe the defendant as regards the quantity of alcohol consumed, there is no evidence to the contrary.
6 Mr. Boucher appealed to the Superior Court. He argued that the Municipal Court judge had erred in fact and in law [translation] “in interpreting and applying the evidence to the contrary” required to rebut the presumption that applied to the breathalyzer result. He also argued that the judge had erred in assessing his credibility. The Superior Court judge was of the opinion that the Municipal Court judge could not limit herself to analysing Mr. Boucher’s credibility. Without reversing the decision as to credibility, he concluded as follows:
[translation] Accordingly, with respect, even if the court does not believe the accused as regards the quantity of alcohol consumed, this is not sufficient to find that there is no evidence to the contrary. The court is of the view that an analysis of the evidence as a whole may raise a reasonable doubt about whether the blood alcohol level exceeded the permissible limit at the time of the arrest.
Thus, the absence of any symptoms other than the smell of alcohol and the expert’s testimony regarding the possibility that the accused drank more than he stated are evidence that raises a reasonable doubt, and the appellant should have been given the benefit of that doubt.
([2001] Q.J. No. 4670 (QL), at paras. 23-24)
7 The prosecution appealed to the Court of Appeal. The appeal was limited to one question of law: whether the Superior Court could accept the expert’s testimony when there was no credible evidence of the facts on which the opinion was based.
8 The three judges of the Court of Appeal wrote separate reasons ([2004] R.J.Q. 423). Rothman J.A. was of the opinion that the case concerned the nature of the evidence to the contrary required under s. 258(1) (c) Cr. C. to rebut the presumption as to the accuracy of the blood analysis certificate. He concluded that the Municipal Court judge had applied the wrong standard of proof to the question of what constitutes evidence to the contrary under s. 258(1) (c) Cr. C. In his opinion, regardless of whether or not the Municipal Court judge believed Mr. Boucher as regards his consumption, the evidence as a whole had to be taken into consideration. Citing the principles set out in R. v. W. (D.), [1991] 1 S.C.R. 742, he reached the following conclusion:
. . . the evidence of the accused together with the evidence of the expert witness coupled with the absence of any symptoms of impairment other than a smell of alcohol on the breath of the accused, as well as the relatively low level of alcohol recorded in the certificate of analysis were sufficient to raise a reasonable doubt that the accused was driving while he had a level of alcohol in his blood exceeding the level permitted by law. [para. 28]
9 On the use of the expert evidence, Beauregard J.A. disagreed with the Superior Court and Rothman J.A. He was of the opinion that the expert could not help in assessing the plausibility of Mr. Boucher’s testimony. He agreed with Rothman J.A.’s conclusion because of the weakness of the reasons given by the Municipal Court judge for rejecting Mr. Boucher’s testimony.
10 Forget J.A., dissenting, was of the opinion that, given the breathalyzer results of 93 mg and 92 mg, [translation] “it is perfectly understandable that the police officers did not observe any physical symptoms of alcohol impairment other than the smell on the accused’s breath” (para. 32). He concluded as follows:
[translation] Since the trial judge rejected Boucher’s testimony and the Superior Court judge found no palpable error in her assessment of the evidence, the expert evidence cannot raise any reasonable doubt to rebut the presumptions of accuracy and identity. [para. 50]
11 Relying on the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in R. v. Latour (1997), 116 C.C.C. (3d) 279, he then found that, without evidence concerning Mr. Boucher’s alcohol tolerance, the fact that there were no physical symptoms other than the smell on his breath was not evidence to the contrary that could be used to rebut the presumptions set out in the Criminal Code .
12 The prosecution is appealing to this Court. It argues that the Municipal Court judge did not err in law in refusing to accept the expert’s testimony as evidence to the contrary, since that testimony was based on Mr. Boucher’s testimony, which had been rejected. Relying on the reasons of Rothman J.A., Mr. Boucher reiterates that the Municipal Court judge erred by not accepting his testimony.
1. Analysis
13 Since Rothman J.A. referred in his reasons to s. 258(1) (c) Cr. C. and Forget J.A. referred in his reasons to the two presumptions in the Criminal Code , it will be helpful to review the scope of the rules set out in ss. 258(1) (c), 258(1) (d.1) and 258(1) (g) Cr. C. (these provisions are reproduced in the Appendix). I will then consider how the law applies to the facts and will conclude with a few comments on Mr. Boucher’s argument regarding his credibility.
1.1 Rules in Sections 258(1) (c), 258(1) (d.1) and 258(1) (g) of the Criminal Code
14 Where samples of an accused’s breath have been taken pursuant to a demand made under s. 254(3) Cr. C., Parliament has established separate presumptions in s. 258(1) Cr. C. to facilitate proof of the accused’s blood alcohol level: two presumptions of identity and one presumption of accuracy. According to the presumption of identity in s. 258(1) (c) Cr. C., the accused’s blood alcohol level at the time when the offence was alleged to have been committed is the same as the level at the time of the breathalyzer test. According to s. 258(1) (d.1) Cr. C., where the alcohol level exceeds 80 mg at the time of the test, there is a presumption that it also exceeded 80 mg at the time when the offence was alleged to have been committed. The presumption of accuracy in s. 258(1) (g) Cr. C. establishes prima facie that the technician’s reading provides an accurate determination of the blood alcohol level at the time of the test. These presumptions have certain similarities, but they remain distinct presumptions.
1.2 Similarities
15 The standard of proof that must be met to rebut the presumptions of identity and accuracy is the same: reasonable doubt. The defence has no burden of proof. Where there is evidence tending to show (1) that the blood alcohol level recorded on the certificate is not the same as the level at the time of the offence, (2) that the level did not exceed 80 mg or (3) that the certificate does not accurately reflect the blood alcohol level, the court does not have to be satisfied on a balance of probabilities. This evidence can come from that adduced by the Crown or the accused. In Proudlock, in explaining the expression “evidence to the contrary” in s. 306(2)(a) Cr. C., the Court made the following comment:
. . . all the presumption does is to establish a prima facie case. The burden of proof does not shift. The accused does not have to “establish” a defence or an excuse, all he has to do is to raise a reasonable doubt. If there is nothing in the evidence adduced by the Crown from which a reasonable doubt can arise, then the accused will necessarily have the burden of adducing evidence if he is to escape conviction. However, he will not have the burden of proving his innocence, it will be sufficient if, at the conclusion of the case on both sides, the trier of fact has a reasonable doubt. [Emphasis added; pp. 548‑49.]
16 This standard was applied by this Court to the expression “evidence to the contrary” in s. 258(1) Cr. C. in R. v. Crosthwait, [1980] 1 S.C.R. 1089, and in St. Pierre, at para. 102.
17 Section 258(1)(c) Cr. C. expressly provides that the alcohol level measured by a test administered within two hours after the vehicle was driven is, “in the absence of evidence to the contrary”, the same as the level at the time when the offence was alleged to have been committed. Although s. 258(1)(g) Cr. C. does not use the expression “in the absence of any evidence to the contrary”, those words are included therein by implication because of s. 25(1) of the Interpretation Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I‑21 , which allows the presumption to be rebutted by evidence to the contrary:
25. (1) Where an enactment provides that a document is evidence of a fact without anything in the context to indicate that the document is conclusive evidence, then, in any judicial proceedings, the document is admissible in evidence and the fact is deemed to be established in the absence of any evidence to the contrary.
See St. Pierre, at para. 26, and P. Béliveau and M. Vauclair, Traité général de preuve et de procédure pénales (11th ed. 2004), at para. 830.
1.3 Differences Between the Presumptions
18 Although the differences between the presumptions are evident from reading s. 258(1) Cr. C., the courts tended to confuse them. This Court therefore clarified these differences in St. Pierre.
19 The presumption of identity in s. 258(1)(c) Cr. C. can be rebutted by evidence that tends to show that the blood alcohol level at the time when the offence was alleged to have been committed was different from the level measured at the time of the breathalyzer test (St. Pierre, at paras. 44, 46 and 49). Thus, in St. Pierre, the accused consumed two miniature bottles of vodka after being arrested but before taking a breathalyzer test, and this fact was capable of rebutting the presumption that the blood alcohol level measured at the time of the test was the same as the blood alcohol level at the time she was driving her vehicle.
20 Such evidence to the contrary adduced to rebut the presumption of identity does not deprive the prosecution of the benefit of the presumption that the certificate accurately states the blood alcohol level at the time of the breathalyzer test (the presumption of accuracy). The Crown can still prove that the accused’s blood alcohol level at the time when the offence was alleged to have been committed exceeded 80 mg; one piece of evidence would then be the reading taken by the breathalyzer, the accuracy of which is not in dispute. Additional evidence would be needed, however, to prove the blood alcohol level at the time when the offence was alleged to have been committed.
21 Evidence to the contrary that is adduced to rebut the presumption of accuracy in s. 258(1)(g) Cr. C. must tend to show that the certificate does not in fact correctly reflect the blood alcohol level at the time of the breathalyzer test. This evidence must raise a reasonable doubt about the accuracy of the breathalyzer result.
22 Shortly after St. Pierre, Parliament amended the Criminal Code to add s. 258(1) (d.1) Cr. C., which expands the presumption of identity. According to this new provision, where the accused’s blood alcohol level exceeded 80 mg at the time of the breathalyzer test, it will be presumed, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, to have exceeded 80 mg at the time when the offence was alleged to have been committed. The effect of the enactment of s. 258(1) (d.1) Cr. C. was not to change the type of evidence needed to rebut the presumption of identity in s. 258(1) (c) Cr. C. or the presumption of accuracy in s. 258(1)(g) Cr. C., but to reinforce the presumption of identity.
23 Having regard to the above‑mentioned similarities and differences, we must now ask whether the presumptions have been rebutted in this case.
2. Application of the Law to the Facts of This Case
24 Mr. Boucher’s defence was that, given what he had consumed, his blood alcohol level could not have been the level recorded by the breathalyzer test. He disputed the accuracy of the test and challenged the presumption set out in s. 258(1)(g) Cr. C. Although the expert tacitly alluded to the presumption of identity in s. 258(1)(c) Cr. C. in saying that, if the alcohol had been consumed in the minutes preceding the breathalyzer test, the level recorded by the test might not have been the same as the level at the time Boucher was stopped, this was not the defence theory. Rothman J.A. was correct to say that the case concerned the nature of the evidence to the contrary required to rebut the presumption of accuracy, but the parties and the judges were wrong to refer to s. 258(1)(c) Cr. C. The question is therefore whether Mr. Boucher adduced evidence to the contrary that raised a reasonable doubt about the accuracy of the breathalyzer results.
25 Rothman J.A. found that the Municipal Court judge had failed to consider the evidence as a whole as required by W. (D.). In that case, this Court suggested an approach for determining whether guilt has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt in cases where credibility is in question. That clarification was needed because the trial judge had told the jurors that, to reach a verdict, they had to decide whether they believed the defence evidence or the Crown’s evidence. This charge was incorrect because it excluded a third possibility: that the jury could still have a reasonable doubt either because of the accused’s testimony or in light of the evidence as a whole (p. 757). The instructions proposed in that case were as follows (at p. 758):
(1) if the testimony of the accused is believed, the accused must be acquitted;
(2) if the testimony of the accused is not believed but there is still a reasonable doubt, the accused must be acquitted;
(3) even if the testimony does not raise any doubt, the jurors must still ask themselves whether, on the basis of all the evidence that they do accept, they are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt of the guilt of the accused.
26 In the case at bar, the trier of fact did not believe the respondent and found that he had adduced no evidence to the contrary. The Superior Court judge reversed the trial judgment, not on the basis of credibility, as he had been asked to do, but because he found that the judge had erred with respect to the standard of proof required to rebut the presumption. He was of the opinion that the evidence as a whole could raise a reasonable doubt about whether the accused’s blood alcohol level exceeded the permissible limit at the time of the arrest (para. 23). I myself do not think that the trier of fact committed an error that warrants intervention.
27 In assessing the consequences of rejecting Mr. Boucher’s testimony, I will begin by accepting the trier of fact’s finding on credibility, and will then explain why there is no reason to intervene on the question of credibility.
2.1 Consequences of Rejecting Mr. Boucher’s Testimony
28 What are the consequences of rejecting Mr. Boucher’s testimony? According to Proudlock, “if the trier of fact does not believe the evidence so tendered, the statutory presumption operates” in the absence of any other evidence (p. 542). Or as Fish J.A., as he then was, stated in R. v. Dubois (1990), 62 C.C.C. (3d) 90 (Que. C.A.):
“Evidence to the contrary” that is disbelieved will, of course, fail to neutralize, or to render inoperative, the presumption created by s. 258(1)(c) of the Code. [Emphasis in original; p. 92.]
29 With respect, the case at bar was not one to which W. (D.) applied. To neutralize the presumption, the judge needed only to have a reasonable doubt about the accuracy of the breathalyzer result. The approach set out in W. (D.) is not a sacrosanct formula that serves as a straitjacket for trial courts. Trial judges deliver oral judgments every day and often limit their reasons to the essential points. It would be wrong to require them to explain in detail the process they followed to reach a verdict. They need only give reasons that the parties can understand and that permit appellate review: R. v. Sheppard, [2002] 1 S.C.R. 869, 2002 SCC 26, and R. v. Burns, [1994] 1 S.C.R. 656. In the instant case, the judge, by stating that she did not believe Mr. Boucher, was implicitly addressing the first two steps in W. (D.).
30 What evidence other than Mr. Boucher’s testimony, which was rejected, could have been taken into consideration? The expert’s evidence could have been, according to the Superior Court judge and Rothman J.A. of the Court of Appeal.
31 The expert’s opinion about the blood alcohol level the breathalyzer test should have shown was based on Mr. Boucher’s testimony. The expert did not evaluate Mr. Boucher’s resistance to alcohol. He simply provided average figures relating to the blood alcohol level of a 28‑year‑old man who weighs 175 pounds and is 5'11" tall and who consumes 44 ounces of beer containing five percent alcohol over a period of two to three hours. If a judge does not believe that an accused consumed 44 ounces of beer, the expert’s calculation is of no help. Such evidence merely provides theoretical information that differs from the facts on which judgment was based. If the expert evidence is based on the accused’s testimony and the accused’s testimony is not believed, the expert’s evidence cannot assist the court or constitute evidence to the contrary. What else is left?
32 The Superior Court judge and Rothman J.A. were of the opinion that the absence of symptoms other than the smell of alcohol was also a factor that could raise a reasonable doubt. Forget J.A., on the other hand, was of the opinion that this was a neutral factor. He was correct, in my view.
33 Evidence that there are no symptoms is indeed very relevant to the charge of impaired driving. In fact, this explains why, when the prosecution closed its case, it asked the judge to acquit Mr. Boucher on that charge. The situation is quite different for the charge of driving with a blood alcohol level over 80 mg. The offence of driving with a level exceeding 80 mg does not require proof of impairment. The absence of symptoms of impairment is generally not sufficient to constitute evidence to the contrary that can be used to rebut the presumption of accuracy. This is because a lack of evidence of the usual symptoms of impairment, such as staggering and slurred speech, does not provide information about the actual blood alcohol level. Symptoms such as these usually accompany extremely high blood alcohol levels. Conversely, very low levels are generally consistent with an absence of symptoms. An absence of symptoms is therefore not significant in itself if the court does not know the accused’s level of alcohol tolerance.
34 The expert who testified in this case has not enlightened the Court about Mr. Boucher’s alcohol tolerance. He relied on statistical averages. By definition, the reason there are averages is that not everyone who consumes alcohol reacts in the same way. The level of alcohol tolerance is not a matter for judicial notice, particularly when the case does not involve extremely high levels. The difference of opinion between two judges of the Court of Appeal on this point is certainly indicative of a need to rely on the usual methods of proof in this regard. Like Forget J.A., I agree with the following statement by Charron J.A., as she then was, in Latour:
Second, and more importantly, this evidence is not capable of constituting “evidence to the contrary”. Even accepting as a fact that a “normal, average” person with the same breathalyser readings should exhibit stronger indicia of impairment than that observed in the respondent, this fact is of no consequence in the absence of evidence on the respondent’s tolerance to alcohol. This opinion evidence, as presented, without any connection to the respondent, is merely speculative and of no evidentiary value. [para. 14]
35 Mr. Boucher’s testimony, the expert evidence and the absence of the usual symptoms of intoxication (except the smell of alcohol) were not evidence to the contrary. What other evidence constituted evidence to the contrary? In the opinion of Rothman J.A., the low level recorded by the breathalyzer test was another factor that could raise a reasonable doubt. But I find it difficult to see how the fact that the alcohol levels were 93 mg and 92 mg (which Rothman J.A. characterized as low) could constitute evidence that the breathalyzer result was inaccurate. How can the results of 93 mg and 92 mg show that the result itself was inaccurate? The result is precisely the figure that the accused claimed was inaccurate. To achieve his goal, he should logically have tried to discredit that figure, not to use it. The result cannot be both evidence and evidence contrary to that evidence.
36 The Municipal Court judge stated that, because she did not believe Mr. Boucher, the expert evidence was not evidence to the contrary. This statement implied that, of all the evidence she had heard, only the expert evidence would have been capable of constituting evidence to the contrary if it had had any basis. To reach that conclusion, she must necessarily have assessed the evidence as a whole. In my opinion, the Superior Court judge and Rothman J.A. could not reproach her for failing to consider the evidence as a whole.
37 In short, unless Mr. Boucher’s testimony is reassessed and given a different weight than the trial judge gave it, I see nothing that the trial judge rejected that she should have taken into consideration to find that there was a reasonable doubt.
38 I will make one further comment on the expert’s testimony about the difference in the levels, attributable to the absorption time, between the time when the offence was alleged to have been committed and the time of the test. This evidence was adduced as evidence to the contrary in relation to the presumption of identity. It is relevant to recall that the argument to which the expert alluded is not a new one. It was made in St. Pierre, and this Court rejected it:
If any evidence of difference between the accused’s blood alcohol level at the time of the testing and at the time of the driving could be considered “evidence to the contrary” within the meaning of s. 258(1)(c) so as to rebut the presumption, then the presumption could be rebutted in every case. The simple reason for this is that an intoxicated person’s blood alcohol level is constantly changing as a result of absorption and elimination of alcohol into and out of the blood. A person charged with “over 80” could simply show that his blood alcohol level changed between driving and being stopped because some of the alcohol had been metabolized in the interim, and suddenly the presumption in s. 258(1)(c) would be gone. . . . If this normal process of absorption and elimination were considered to be “evidence to the contrary”, then the presumption would be useless, since it could always be rebutted.
. . .
The effect of normal biological processes of absorption and elimination of alcohol cannot of and by itself constitute “evidence to the contrary”, because Parliament can be assumed to have known that blood alcohol levels constantly change, yet it saw fit to implement the presumption. Therefore, as Arbour J.A. states, to permit this to become “evidence to the contrary” would, in effect, be nothing more than an attack on the presumption itself by showing that it is a legal fiction and therefore should never be applied. In my view, such an attack on the presumption should not be allowed. [Emphasis added; paras. 59 and 61.]
39 In light of this passage from St. Pierre, the evidence regarding absorption time presented by the expert in the case at bar was inadmissible. The expert’s evidence was based not on the accused’s personal reaction to alcohol but rather on the absorption process in general and the fictional nature of the presumption itself.
2.2 Questioning of Credibility
40 In this Court, Mr. Boucher is again arguing that the Municipal Court judge should not have rejected his testimony.
41 There is no need to refer to all this Court’s decisions relating to the standard of intervention that applies to a trial judge’s findings on the credibility of witnesses. Appellate courts exercise great restraint in dealing with this issue. In the instant case, I agree with my colleagues that the Municipal Court judge erred in law in stating the principles that guided her analysis of Mr. Boucher’s credibility. However, her errors were not fatal. I said above that this is not a case to which W. (D.) applies, and I am also of the opinion that it is not a case to which R. v. Lifchus, [1997] 3 S.C.R. 320, applies.
42 The Municipal Court judge correctly identified the applicable standard, namely reasonable doubt. It is true that she erred when she said that the evidence must not merely be reasonably true: R. v. Duguay, [1993] Q.J. No. 58 (QL) (C.A.). However, since that comment was made immediately after she identified the standard, I do not believe that the error warrants intervention. The reasonable doubt standard is applied by trial judges on a daily basis. In this case, the erroneous comment was not part of an instruction to a jury. The error reflects a problem with the wording she used more than a misconception of the applicable law.
43 The judge also erred when she stated that the credibility of the accused and his witnesses could be assessed in light of the results of the breathalyzer tests before applying the presumption. She relied for this on the decisions of the Quebec and Ontario Courts of Appeal in R. v. Bernard (1999), 140 C.C.C. (3d) 412, and R. v. Gilbert (1994), 92 C.C.C. (3d) 266, which should not be followed on this point. Breathalyzer results cannot be used to assess the credibility of a witness. As I explained earlier, it would be circular to rely on the test results to determine whether there is evidence that could raise a doubt regarding those very results. However, despite the reference to this principle, which is incorrect in law, the judge did not rely on the test results at all in her analysis of the evidence. Since the judge gave detailed reasons with respect to Mr. Boucher’s credibility and did not refer to the results, it would be speculative to claim that her mistaken wording influenced her analysis. Her statements about the law, like the reasons she gave for rejecting Mr. Boucher’s testimony, must be considered in their context and assessed as a whole.
44 The main reasons given by the Municipal Court judge for rejecting Mr. Boucher’s testimony are grounded purely in fact. They relate to the route he took on the night of his arrest.
45 Eric Lambert, a police officer, testified that a main roadblock had been set up on Boulevard La Vérendrye north of the Lachine Canal to stop drivers who had been drinking. The vehicles targeted were travelling from east to west. A main roadblock with flashing lights was set up at 2:00 a.m. in a place where there was not much traffic. Since the blue and red flashing lights were visible from a considerable distance, any streets that could be used to bypass the main roadblock were blocked by secondary roadblocks. Mr. Boucher was seen driving on La Vérendrye and turning onto such a street, where he was stopped.
46 Dany Godin, also a police officer, explained that the secondary roadblock had been set up to intercept drivers who saw the main roadblock and tried to bypass it. Le Caron, the street where the secondary roadblock was set up, was the only street vehicles could take to leave the area. Only one car was stopped there, namely Mr. Boucher’s. The officer testified that he had asked Mr. Boucher why he had gotten off La Vérendrye, on which he had been driving toward Ville La Salle, where he lived, to take Le Caron but that he had received no answer.
47 On cross‑examination, Mr. Boucher testified that his usual route was to take St‑Patrick, a street on the other side of the canal, and admitted that the “logical” route would have been to take La Vérendrye to Ville La Salle. He gave no explanation for his change of direction. He first claimed not to have see