View source for Interception of Private Communications

[[fr:écoutes_téléphoniques]]
{{Currency2|January|2023}}
{{LevelZero}}{{HeaderWiretaps}}
==General Principles==
Wiretaps are governed by Part VI {{CCC}} (Invasion of Privacy (ss. 183 to 196.1)).

There are five categories of interception/wiretap:
* [[Third-Party Intercept Authorizations]] (185 and 186) 
* [[One-Party Consent Intercept Authorizations|One-Party Consent (OPC) Intercept authorization]] (184.2)
* [[One-Party Consent Intercepts to Prevent Bodily Harm]] (184.1) 
* [[Third-Party Intercept to Prevent Imminent Harm]] (184.4) 
* [[Emergency Intercepts]] (188) 
* [[Video Surveillance]] (487.01)  
* [[Tracking Warrants]] (492.1(1) and 492.1(2))

; Eligible Applicants, Offences and Level of Court 
Authorizations for a third-party intercept under s. 185 and 186 can only be authorized by a judge of a superior court.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Type of Intercept !! Section !! Applicant !! [[Definition of Judicial Officers and Offices|Court]] !! Offences !! Notes
|-
| [[Third-Party Intercept Authorizations]] || 185 and 186 <br> || Designated Agent || Superior  ||s. 183 offences <br>("has been, or is being") || 90 day notice<Br>Investigative Necessity 
|-
| [[One-Party Consent Intercept Authorizations|One-Party Consent (OPC) Intercept authorization]] ||184.2 || peace officer, public officer, Designated Agent || Provincial or Superior ||Any <br>("has been or will be committed") ||None
|- 
| [[One-Party Consent Intercepts to Prevent Bodily Harm]]|| 184.1  || NA || NA ||Any || None
|-
| [[Third-Party Intercept to Prevent Imminent Harm]] ||184.4  || NA || NA  ||s. 183 offences <br>("has been, or is being") || Notice
|-
| [[Emergency Intercepts]]|| 188  || a designated peace officer|| Superior ||s. 183 offences <br>("has been, or is being") || Notice
|-
| [[Video Surveillance]] ||487.01  || Designated Agent || Superior ||s. 183 offences<br>("has been, or is being") || Investigative necessity<Ref>if there is no consent</ref>
|-
| [[Tracking Warrants]]|| 492.1(1) and 492.1(2) || peace officer or public officer ||JP, Provincial or Superior || Any || None 
|}  

; Warrantless
The One-Party Consent Wiretap to Prevent Bodily Harm (s. 184.1) and Third-Party Wiretap to Prevent Serious Harm (s. 184.4) do not require judicial authorization. 

; Section 8 of the Charter
An interception of a private communication under a Part VI authorization is a search and seizure under s. 8 of the Charter.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Grant|1f973|1999 CanLII 3694 (ON CA)|132 CCC (3d) 531}}{{perSCC|Charron J}}{{atp|539}} [CCC]
</ref>

; Offence
A wilful interception of "a private communication" without authorization is an indictable offence under s. 184 with a maximum penalty of 5 years. This offence does not include situations where one of the parties consents (s.184(2)).

; Disclosure of Packet
The right to full answer and defence permits the accused to examine an edited version of the materials available to the authorizing judge to support the wiretap authorization.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Garofoli|1fss5|1990 CanLII 52 (SCC)|[1990] 2 SCR 1421}}{{perSCC-H|Sopinka J}}{{atps|1433, 1452}} [SCR]</ref>

; Vetting
The Crown and police have a positive obligation not to disseminate irrelevant private communications revealed within a wiretap.<Ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Guess|1fngn|2000 BCCA 547 (CanLII)|148 CCC (3d) 321}}{{perBCCA|Hall J}}<br>
</ref>

{{reflist|2}}
===History===
The modern legislation protecting against the interception of private communications arose from the 1969 Ouimet report which resulted in the Protection of Privacy Act.<Ref>
R. Ouimet, Report of the Canadian Committee on Corrections, Towards Unity: Criminal Justice and Corrections (Ottawa: Information Canada, 1969) cited in detail at {{CanLIIRP|Nguyen|1hjsb|2001 ABPC 52 (CanLII)|294 AR 201}}{{perABPC|Stevenson ACJ}}{{atL|1hjsb|17}}<br>
{{CanLIIRP|Lyons|1lpg0|1984 CanLII 30 (SCC)|[1984] 2 SCR 633, 15 CCC (3d) 417}}{{perSCC|Estey J}}{{atp|453}} (CCC) - comments on the origin of the wiretap provisions
</ref>

; Constitutionality
It was found that the interception regime in Part VI of the Code is constitutional.<REf>
R v Finlay Grelette (1985) 23CCCC (3d) 38 at paras 63 to 64
</ref>

{{reflist|2}}

===Purpose===
Modern electronic surveillance has been singled out as a particularly powerful form of privacy intrusion.
But unregulated, it would destroy any sort of privacy and would threaten society.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Duarte|1fszz|1990 CanLII 150 (SCC)|[1990] 1 SCR 30}}{{perSCC|LaForest J}} - Judge referring to electronic surveillance as "superbly" equipped to fight crime, but left unregulated would mean "privacy no longer had any meaning"<br>
{{CanLIIRP|Wong|1fsq9|1990 CanLII 56 (SCC)|[1990] 3 SCR 36}}{{perSCC|LaForest J}} - Judge suggests that electronic surveillance would "annihilate privacy"<br>
{{CanLIIRP|Wise|1fsdl|1992 CanLII 125 (SCC)|[1992] 1 SCR 527}}{{perSCC|LaForest J}} (dissenting) suggesting that surviellance was a "danger to individual autonomy and the organization of a free society”)
</ref>

Part VI of the Code regulates the "power of the state to record communications that their originator expects will not be intercepted."<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Duarte|1fszz|1990 CanLII 150 (SCC)|[1990] 1 SCR 30}}{{perSCC|La Forest J}}
{{CanLIIRP|Jones|hp63x|2017 SCC 60 (CanLII)|[2017] 2 SCR 696}}{{perSCC|Cote J}}{{atL|hp63x|60}}<br>
</ref> 
It avoids the "danger inherent in allowing the state, in its unfettered discretion, to record and transmit our words."<ref>
{{supra1|Duarte}}
</ref>

These provisions aim to "strike a balance between the protection of privacy and the availability of effective law enforcement techniques".
<Ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Nguyen|1hjsb|2001 ABPC 52 (CanLII)|294 AR 201}}{{perABPC|Stevenson ACJ}}{{atL|1hjsb|17}}<br>
{{CanLIIRPC|Regina v Welsh and Iannuzzi (No. 6)|g19w7|1977 CanLII 1215 (ON CA)|32 CCC (2d) 363}}{{perONCA|Zuber JA}} (5:0){{atp|369}}<br>
</ref>

Electronic surveillance has the potential to "annihilate" any expectation of privacy in our communications. Society should not expose us to permanent electronic surveillance.<ref>
{{supra1|Duarte}}{{atp|11}} (CCC)<br>
see also ''United States v White'', 201 US 745 (1971){{atp|756}} ("electronic surveillance is the greatest leveler of human privacy ever known")</ref>

Surveillance is one of the "the greatest leveler[s] of human privacy ever known".<Ref>
''United States v White'', 201 U.S. 745 (1971){{atp|756}}
</ref>

This provision has ''nothing'' to do with protecting persons from the risk that the recipient of the communication will divulge anything.<Ref>
{{supra1|Duarte}} ("has nothing to do with protecting individuals from the threat that their interlocutors will divulge communications that are meant to be private")
</ref>

{{reflist|2}}

==Misc Wiretap Terms==
{{quotation3|
; Definitions
183 In this Part {{AnnSec|Part VI}},<Br>
'''"authorization"''' means an authorization to intercept a private communication given under subsection 184.‍2(3) {{AnnSec1|184.2(3)}}, section 186 {{AnnSec1|186}} or subsection 188(2) {{AnnSec1|188(2)}}; (autorisation)
{{ellipsis}}
'''"police officer"''' means any officer, constable or other person employed for the preservation and maintenance of the public peace; (policier)<br>
{{ellipsis}}
'''"public switched telephone network"''' means a telecommunication facility the primary purpose of which is to provide a land line-based telephone service to the public for compensation; (réseau téléphonique public commuté)<Br>
'''"radio-based telephone communication"''' means any radiocommunication within the meaning of the Radiocommunication Act that is made over apparatus that is used primarily for connection to a public switched telephone network; (communication radiotéléphonique)<br>
'''"sell"''' includes offer for sale, expose for sale, have in possession for sale or distribute or advertise for sale; (vendre)<br>
'''"solicitor"''' means, in the Province of Quebec, an advocate or a notary and, in any other province, a barrister or solicitor. (avocat)<br>
{{History-S183}}
|{{CCCSec2|183}}
|{{NoteUp|183}}
|{{Terms-
|"private communication" (s. 183)
}}
}}

==Topics==
* [[Definition of Interception of Private Communications]]
* [[Intercept of Private Communications (Offence)]]
* [[Third Party Wiretaps]] (s. 185 and 186)
** [[List of Designated Wiretap Eligible Offences]]
* [[Consent Wiretaps]]
* [[Video Surveillance]]
* [[Warrantless Wiretaps]] (intercept for safety or emergency)
* [[Admitting Wiretap Evidence]]
* [[Sealing and Unsealing Judicial Authorizations]]
* [[Execution of Search Warrants#Execution of Wiretap Warrant|Execution of Wiretap]]
* [[Annual Wiretap Reports]]

{{WarrantNavBar}}