Foreword

• Author: Nathan Baker
• Pages: 11-15

Foreword

Drug

Recognition

Evaluations

(DRE)

and

Standardized

Field

Sobriety

Test



ing

(SFST)

still

seem

to

be

relatively

new

introductions

to

the

Canadian

criminal

justice

system.

However,

it

has

been

almost

ten

years

since

they

were

statutorily

approved.

In

acknowledging

the

changes

brought

into

being

by

these

amendments,

the

Quebec

Court

of

Appeal

stated

it

best,

in

R

v

Gaulin,

2017

QCCA

705

at

para

28:

[T]he

objectives

of

the

2008

statutory

amendments

were

numerous

and

included

facilitating

detection

and

investigation

of

cases

involving

driv



ing

while

impaired

by

a

drug

and

increasing

minimum

sentences

for

impaired

driving.

Specifically,

the

amendments

authorize

trained

police

officers

to

impose

challenges

and

tests

to

determine

whether

a

driver

’

s

ability

is

weakened

by

a

drug

or

the

combined

effect

of

a

drug

and

alco



hol.

One

of

the

goals

of

the

statutory

addition

was

to

toughen

sentences

for

impaired

driving

and,

in

cases

of

driving

while

impaired

by

alcohol,

to

limit

challenges

of

blood

alcohol

test

results.

These

goals

—

the

identification

and

prosecution

of

individuals

impaired

by

drug

—

were

important

to

Parliament

because

of

the

growing

evidence

of

the

harm

done

by

drug-impaired

driving.

This

concern

continues

to

grow

as

we

enter

a

new

stage

in

Canada

with

the

legalization

of

another

impairing

substance,

marijuana.