CDAS successful SCC intervention

CDAS is pleased to announce that our recent intervention in the R. v. Ahmad and Williams appeal at the Supreme Court of Canada has led to positive developments against police intrusion and entrapment personal, virtual spaces. This case involved a dial-a-dope investigation in which the police had received an unverified tip of drug trafficking from certain phone numbers and used that tip to arrange a drug purchase. The majority of the SCC found that the police had no reasonable suspicion when they phoned one of the numbers and asked to purchase drugs. Representing CDAS at the SCC, Alison Latimer argued that there is an enhanced privacy interest in virtual spaces compared to physical spaces, and that it is important to delineate and circumscribe virtual locations in which police can provide the opportunity to commit a crime. The majority of the Court agreed with this submission and endorsed the relevant factors that CDAS had proposed to avoid "random virtue testing". The impact of CDAS's submissions are found in paragraphs 34-43 of the judgment. CDAS thanks Ms. Latimer for her excellent advocacy on behalf of the Society, criminal defence lawyers across BC and Canada, and, most importantly, the individual rights of all people in Canada.