2023 NBCA 45, 2023 NBCA 45

COURT OF APPEAL OF COUR D’APPEL DU NEW BRUNSWICK NOUVEAU-BRUNSWICK 54-23-CA P.M.M. MOVING PARTY P.M.M. AUTEUR DE LA MOTION - and - - et - H.M.-C. and the Minister of Social Development RESPONDENTS H.M.-C. and LA MINISTRE DU DÉVELOPPEMENT SOCIAL INTIMÉES P.M.M. v. H.M.-C. and the Minister of Social Development, 2023 NBCA 45 P.M.M. c.

H.M.-C. et la Ministre du Développement social et autre, 2023 NBCA 45 CORAM: The Honourable Justice Green The Honourable Justice French The Honourable Justice LeBlanc CORAM : l’honorable juge Green l’honorable juge French l’honorable juge LeBlanc Motion heard ex parte : June 14, 2023 Motion entendu ex parte : le 14 juin 2023 Judgment rendered: June 15, 2023 Jugement rendu : le 15 juin 2023

Counsel at hearing: For the moving party: Jonathan Martin For the respondents: No one appeared Avocats à l’audience : Pour l’auteur de la motion : Jonathan Martin Pour les intimées : Personne n'a comparu THE COURT P.M.M.’s motion for an ex parte order is dismissed. LA COUR La demande d’ordonnance ex parte de P.M.M. est rejetée.

The following is the judgment delivered by THE COURT [ 1 ] Following the dismissal of her ex parte motion by a judge of the Court of King’s Bench on June 8, 2023, P.M.M. seeks the same relief from this Court, specifically an interim order under the Family Law Act , S.N.B. 2020, c. 23 , with respect to primary parenting time and sole decision-making responsibility for her two great-grandchildren and, more urgently, an order that the Minister not disturb the status quo regarding the children’s primary residence prior to the expiration of the Minister’s six- month custody order, which is set to end on June 21, 2023.

The stated intention of the Minister is to return the children to the care of their mother, H.M.-C., at that time.

Presently, the children are residing with and in the care of P.M.M. [ 2 ] Rule 62.04 of the Rules of Court provides as follows: 62.04 Motion Without Notice Where the court dismisses a motion made without notice, the same motion may, without notice, be made to the Court of Appeal. 62.04 Motions sans préavis Toute motion qui a été présentée sans préavis et qui a été rejetée par la cour peut être présentée à la Cour d’appel sans préavis. [ 3 ] Pursuant to this Rule, P.M.M. comes before us, again on an ex parte basis.

The parties have a scheduled court date before the Court of King’s Bench on June 26, 2023, at which time that court is to consider her request for primary parenting time and sole decision-making responsibility. In response to the concerns raised by P.M.M., the judge who will be hearing the motion issued an ex parte order on May 31, 2023, preventing the children from being removed from the Province of New Brunswick until further order of the court. [ 4 ] As stated by Richard J.A. (as he then was) in J.E.J. v. S.L.M. , 2007 NBCA 33 , [2007] N.B.J.

No. 249 (QL) , “In the adversarial system that governs court resolution of parenting disputes, ex parte proceedings should be rare exceptions to the requirement that notice be served on all parties […]” (para. 40).

[ 5 ] In our opinion, it is in the best interests of these children that the hearing scheduled for June 26, 2023, deal with the issues raised, at which time all parties will have the opportunity to present their arguments to the court. [ 6 ] P.M.M.’s motion for an ex parte order is dismissed. [ 7 ] With the approval of the Chief Justice, s. 24(2) of the Official Languages Act , S.N.B. 2002, c. O-0.5 , is invoked and this decision will issue first in the English language, and thereafter, at the earliest possible time, in the other official language.