The Public Safety Exception to Solicitor-Client Privilege: Smith v. Jones

University of British Columbia Law Review, Vol. 34, p. 293, 2000

23 Pages Posted: 4 Nov 2008

See all articles by Adam M. Dodek

Adam M. Dodek

University of Ottawa - Common Law Section

Date Written: December 1, 2000

Abstract

This case comment reviews and analyzes the Supreme Court of Canada's 1999 case on solicitor-client privilege known under the pseudonym Smith v. Jones. In this case, the Supreme Court of Canada recognized a public safety exception to this privilege in cases of "clear, serious and imminent danger". In so doing, the Canadian Court drew upon the California Supreme Court's Tarasoff decision imposing a duty to warn in tort on doctors regarding dangerous patients. The case comment reveals numerous problematic aspects to the Supreme Court's decision and concludes that it raises more questions than it answers.

Keywords: Canada, Legal Ethics, Solicitor-Client Privilege, Duty to Warn, Tort, Professional Responsibility, Attorney-Client Privilege

Suggested Citation

Dodek, Adam M., The Public Safety Exception to Solicitor-Client Privilege: Smith v. Jones (December 1, 2000). University of British Columbia Law Review, Vol. 34, p. 293, 2000, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1293513

Adam M. Dodek (Contact Author)

University of Ottawa - Common Law Section ( email )

57 Louis Pasteur Street
Ottawa, K1N 6N5
Canada

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