Blood Sample Warrants in Conveyance Investigations
| This page was last substantively updated or reviewed January 2023. (Rev. # 95701) |
General Principles
Warrant to Take Samples
- Warrants to obtain blood samples
320.29 (1) A justice may issue a warrant authorizing a peace officer to require a qualified medical practitioner or a qualified technician to take the samples of a person’s blood that, in the opinion of the practitioner or technician taking the samples, are necessary to enable a proper analysis to be made to determine the person’s blood alcohol concentration or blood drug concentration, or both, if the justice is satisfied, on an information on oath in Form 1 [forms], that
- (a) there are reasonable grounds to believe that the person has, within the preceding eight hours, operated a conveyance that was involved in an accident that resulted in bodily harm to themselves or another person or in the death of another person;
- (b) there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the person has alcohol or a drug in their body; and
- (c) a qualified medical practitioner is of the opinion that
- (i) by reason of any physical or mental condition of the person, the person is unable to consent to the taking of samples of their blood, and
- (ii) the taking of samples of the person’s blood will not endanger their health.
- Form
(2) A warrant issued under subsection (1) [warrants to obtain blood samples] may be in Form 5 [forms], varied to suit the case.
(3) [repealed, 2022, c. 17, s. 10].
- Duration of warrant
(4) Samples of blood may be taken from a person under a warrant issued under subsection (1) [warrants to obtain blood samples] only during the time that a qualified medical practitioner is satisfied that the conditions referred to in subparagraphs (1)(c)(i) and (ii) continue to exist.
- Copy to person
(5) If a warrant issued under subsection (1) [warrants to obtain blood samples] is executed, the peace officer shall, as soon as practicable, give a copy of it — as a well as a notice in Form 5.1 [forms], varied to suit the case — to the person from whom the samples of blood are taken.
- Taking of samples
(6) Subsections 320.28(7) to (10) [Evaluation and samples of blood — drugs – handling sample] apply with respect to the taking of samples of blood under this section.
2018, c. 21, s. 15; 2022, c. 17, s. 10.
[annotation(s) added]
- Testing blood — drug or alcohol
320.3 Samples of a person’s blood that are taken for the purposes of this Part [Pt. VIII – Offences Against the Person and Reputation (ss. 214 to 320.1)] may be analyzed to determine the person’s blood alcohol concentration or blood drug concentration, or both.
2018, c. 21, s. 15.
[annotation(s) added]