Regina v. Stewart

Wayne Stewart (defendant) was hired by someone he believed represented a union trying to organize about 600 employees at the Constellation Hotel in Toronto, and Stewart offered a hotel security guard, Hart, money to obtain the employees' confidential names and addresses. Hart instead reported the offer to his supervisor and recorded further calls with Stewart, leading to Stewart being charged with counseling the offense of theft under § 283 of the Criminal Code. The trial judge acquitted Stewart, the appellate court reversed and entered a guilty verdict, and Stewart appealed to the Canada Supreme Court.