View source for Procedure on Seizure of Property

{{LevelZero}}
{{HeaderProperty}}
==General Principles==
Upon seizing property under s. 489, the police are obliged to safeguard the items they have seized.<ref>
{{CanLIIR|Strilec|29d54|2010 BCCA 198 (CanLII)}}{{perBCCA|Ryan JA}}<br> 
{{CanLIIR|Wint|225zz|2009 ONCA 52 (CanLII)}}{{TheCourtONCA}}<br>
</ref>

Section 489.1 governs the procedure to be followed by the police upon seizing property, whether under warrant, warrantless, or otherwise under an Act of Parliament including s. 489. This applies to seizure on search incident to arrest as well as seizure incidental to a search warrant.<ref>
{{CanLIIR|Backhouse|1jvwn|2005 CanLII 4937 (ON CA)}}{{perONCA|Rosenberg JA}}</ref>

The purpose of filing a report under s. 489.1 is to place the property under judicial oversight. It creates accountability and imposes a measure of protection upon the property.<ref>
{{CanLIIR|Canary|hrggw|2018 ONCA 304 (CanLII)}}{{perONCA|Fairburn JA}}{{atL|hrggw|45}} ("Section 489.1 should not be conceptualized as a meaningless exercise in paperwork. Filing the initial report under s. 489.1(1) is the act that places the property within the purview of judicial oversight. It provides for a measure of police accountability when dealing with property seized pursuant to an exercise of police powers. This provides an important measure of protection to the party who is lawfully entitled to the property, but also provides a measure of protection to the police who become the custodians responsible for the property seized.")
</ref>

{{quotation2|
; Restitution of property or report by peace officer
489.1 (1) Subject to this or any other Act of Parliament, where a peace officer has seized anything under a warrant issued under this Act or under section 487.11 {{AnnSec4|487.11}} or 489 {{AnnSec4|489}} or otherwise in the execution of duties under this or any other Act of Parliament, the peace officer shall, as soon as is practicable,
:(a) where the peace officer is satisfied,
::(i) that there is no dispute as to who is lawfully entitled to possession of the thing seized, and
::(ii) that the continued detention of the thing seized is not required for the purposes of any investigation or a preliminary inquiry, trial or other proceeding,<br>

: return the thing seized {{ellipsis1}} to the person lawfully entitled to its possession and report to the justice who issued the warrant {{ellipsis1}} or, if no warrant was issued, a justice having jurisdiction in respect of the matter, that he has done so; or
:(b) where the peace officer is not satisfied as described in subparagraphs (a)(i) {{AnnSec4|489.1(1)(a)(i)}} and (ii) {{AnnSec4|489.1(1)(a)(ii)}},
::(i) bring the thing seized before the justice referred to in paragraph (a) {{AnnSec4|489.1(1)(a)}}, or
::(ii) report to the justice that he has seized the thing and is detaining it or causing it to be detained<br>
:to be dealt with by the justice in accordance with subsection 490(1) {{AnnSec4|490(1)}}.
{{removed|(2)}}
; Form
(3) A report to a justice under this section shall be in the form set out as Form 5.2 {{AnnSec|Form 5.2}} in Part XXVIII {{AnnSec|Part XXVIII}}, varied to suit the case {{ellipsis1}}
<br>
R.S., {{LegHistory80s|1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.)}}, s. 72;
{{LegHistory90s|1993, c. 40}}, s. 17; 
{{LegHistory90s|1997, c. 18}}, s. 49.
{{Annotation}}
|[{{CCCSec|489.1}} CCC]
|{{NoteUp|489.1|1|3}}
}}

Under s. 489.1(1)(b)(ii), where the police seize property either in execution of a warrant or otherwise in execution of their duties, they must file a Report to Justice that is filed with the justice of the peace.

This will permit the officer to hold onto the property for a period of 90 days without laying charges. Where further time is needed the officer must apply for a further detention order under s. 490.

Any property seized pursuant to a search warrant "must be carreid before the justice who issued the warrant to be dealt with by him according to law".<ref>
{{CanLIIRPC|AG (Nova Scotia) v MacIntyre|1lpbn|1982 CanLII 14 (SCC)|[1982] 1 SCR 175}}{{perSCC|Dickson J}}{{atp|179}}<br>
</ref>

; "Justice"
The reference to "justice" requires that the application be heard by a justice of the peace ''or'' a judge of the provincial court.<ref>
see s. 2 "justice" and [[Definition of Judicial Officers and Offices]]
</ref>

; Charter
Section 8 of the Charter can apply to the detention of items seized under s. 489 and 489.1.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Garcia-Machado|g373v|2014 ONCJ 81 (CanLII)|, [2014] OJ No 818}}{{perONCJ|Band J}}{{atL|g373v|50}}<br>
cf. {{CanLIIR-N|Persaud|, [2008] OJ No 5077 (SCJ)}}<br>
cf. {{CanLIIRP|Vinneau|2cqj2|2010 NBPC 19 (CanLII)|, [2010] NBJ No 122 (PC)}}{{perNBPC|LeBlanc J}}<br>
</ref>
Unreasonable retention of property may give rise to a s. 8 violation.<ref>
{{CanLIIR-N|Kirubanathan| [2011] OJ No 5766 (SCJ)}}<br>
{{CanLIIR-N|Poulin|, [2004] OJ No 1354 (SCJ)}}<br>
{{CanLIIRP|Villaroman|fx9ch|2012 ABQB 630 (CanLII)|, [2012] AJ No 1425 (Q.B.)}}{{perABQB|Yamauchi J}}, appealed on other matters to [http://canlii.ca/t/gsq3b 2016 SCC 33] (CanLII){{perSCC|Cromwell J}}<br>
</ref>

A failure to report to the justice that the property was seized without a warrant is a violation of s. 8 of the Charter.<ref>
e.g. {{CanLIIR|Butters|gm5m8|2015 ONCA 783 (CanLII)}}{{TheCourtONCA}}{{atL|gm5m8|5}}<br>
</ref>

{{reflist|2}}

==Report to Justice==
{{seealso|List of Criminal Code Forms}}
Section 489.1 requires the seizing officer to file a [[List of Criminal Code Forms|Form 5.2]] to the Justice who authorized the search. This requirement applies to seizures under s. 487 and s. 11 CDSA.<ref>
e.g. {{CanLIIR|Carpio|g1rmg|2013 BCPC 305 (CanLII)}}{{perBCPC|Mrozinski J}} - discusses requirements under CDSA<br>
</ref>

{{quotation2|
; Restitution of property or report by peace officer
489.1 (1) Subject to this or any other Act of Parliament, where a peace officer has seized anything under a warrant issued under this Act or under section 487.11 {{AnnSec4|487.11}} or 489 {{AnnSec4|489}} or otherwise in the execution of duties under this or any other Act of Parliament, the peace officer shall, as soon as is practicable,<br>
:{{removed|(a)}}
:(b) where the peace officer is not satisfied as described in subparagraphs (a)(i) {{AnnSec4|489.1(1)(a)(i)}} and (ii) {{AnnSec4|489.1(1)(a)(ii)}},
::(i) bring the thing seized before the justice referred to in paragraph (a) {{AnnSec4|489.1(1)(a)}}, or
::(ii) report to the justice that he has seized the thing and is detaining it or causing it to be detained<br>
:to be dealt with by the justice in accordance with subsection 490(1) {{AnnSec4|490(1)}}.
<br>
{{removed|(2)}}
; Form
(3) A report to a justice under this section shall be in the form set out as Form 5.2 {{AnnSec|Form 5.2}} in Part XXVIII {{AnnSec|Part XXVIII}}, varied to suit the case and shall include, in the case of a report in respect of a warrant issued by telephone or other means of telecommunication, the statements referred to in subsection 487.1(9) {{AnnSec4|487.1(9)}}.
<br>
R.S., {{LegHistory80s|1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.)}}, s. 72; 
{{LegHistory90s|1993, c. 40}}, s. 17; 
{{LegHistory90s|1997, c. 18}}, s. 49.
{{annotations}}
|[{{CCCSec|489.1}} CCC]
|{{NoteUp|489.1|3}}
}}

A failure to file a Report to Justice under Form 5.2 does not render a valid search invalid, however, it ''will'' render detention of the items unreasonable and in breach of s. 8 of the Charter.<ref>
{{CanLIIR|Craig|gpbj5|2016 BCCA 154 (CanLII)}}{{perBCCA|Bennett JA}}{{AtsL|gpbj5|177| to 184}}<br>
{{CanLIIRP|Arason|1d9tq|1992 CanLII 1008 (BCCA)|78 CCC (3d) 1 (BCCA)}}{{perBCCA|Cumming JA}} - court says failure to file the form does not affect the validity of the search<br>
</ref>

The filing of a report is considered the "gateway" to "important procedural protections under s. 489.1 and 490 and so must be timely.<ref>
{{CanLIIR|Reeves|hphzk|2017 ONCA 365 (CanLII)}}{{perONCA|LaForme JA}}{{atL|hphzk|78}}, pending appeal to SCC<br>
{{CanLIIR|Garcia-Machado|gkjkl|2015 ONCA 569 (CanLII)}}{{perONCA|Hoy ACJ}}{{atL|gkjkl|55}}<br>
</ref>
Courts should be "wary of any attempt to characterize the failure to meet the reporting requirements ... as trivial or insignificant".<ref>
{{supra1|Reeves}}{{atL|hphzk|78}}<br>
</ref>

; Timing of Filing
The Report to Justice must be filed "as soon as practiable". Failure to do so may result in a violation of s. 8.<ref>
{{CanLIIR|Butters|g6r5l|2014 ONCJ 228 (CanLII)}}{{perONCJ|Paciocco J}}{{atsL|g6r5|49| to 57}} <br>
</ref>

A late filing of Form 5.2 even by a few days will also violate s. 8 of the Charter.<ref>
{{CanLIIR|Montgomery|gtr51|2016 BCCA 379 (CanLII)}}{{perQCCA|Frankel JA}}{{atsL|gtr51|159| to 160}}<br>
</ref>

; Section 487 Warrants
Section 487 also contemplates a requirement for a Report to Justice being made:
{{quotation2|
; Information for search warrant
487 (1) A justice who is satisfied by information on oath in Form 1 [''[[Criminal_Code_Forms#Form_1|see forms]]''] that there are reasonable grounds to believe that there is in a building, receptacle or place
:{{removed|(a), (b), (c), (c.1) and (d)}}
:(e) subject to any other Act of Parliament, to, as soon as practicable, bring the thing seized before, or make a report in respect thereof to, the justice or some other justice for the same territorial division in accordance with section 489.1 {{AnnSec4|489.1}}.
<br>
{{removed|(2), (2.1), (2.2), (3) and (4)}}
R.S., {{LegHistory80s|1985, c. C-46}}, s. 487;
 R.S., {{LegHistory80s|1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.)}}, s. 68; 
{{LegHistory90s|1994, c. 44}}, s. 36;
 {{LegHistory90s|1997, c. 18}}, s. 41, c. 23, s. 12; 
{{LegHistory90s|1999, c. 5}}, s. 16; 
{{LegHistory00s|2008, c. 18}}, s. 11;
{{LegHistory10s|2019, c. 25}}, s. 191.
{{Annotation}}
|[{{CCCSec|487}} CCC]
|{{NoteUp|487|1}}
}}
{{reflist|2}}

==See Also==
* [[Detention Order for Things Seized Under Section 489 or 487.11]] - Detention Orders