The Supreme Court Of Canada struck down a law that allowed police to wiretap urgent cases without a warrant.
The law was enacted after the brutal kidnapping of a British Columbian couple and their friend by six kidnappers. After receiving a tip about the kidnapping RCMP officers began wiretapping the suspects without the necessary judicial authorization which was finally acquired 24hrs after the incident.
Though the judge ruled that the police violate the Charter of Rights by wiretapping without a warrant, the evidence obtained from that action was still allowed into evidence.
In 2010 the Supreme Court stayed the decision to rule on the matter allowing for an appeal to use wiretaps in extreme measures without a warrant. However, the court came to a unanimous decision in April 2012, stripping police of those investigative powers.
The men connected to the kidnapping were sentence to prison with terms ranging from 10 to 18 years.
About Author: Khamal Murray is a major in Bioethics & Heath Studies at the University of Toronto and a blogger/writer with http://thejuxtapositionape.blog.com and a special contributor with Alternavox Magazine
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