R. v. Hill (M.A.), (2001) 190 N.S.R.(2d) 311 (ProvCt)

• Court: Provincial Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: January 12, 2001
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: (2001), 190 N.S.R.(2d) 311 (ProvCt)

R. v. Hill (M.A.) (2001), 190 N.S.R.(2d) 311 (ProvCt);

 594 A.P.R. 311

MLB headnote and full text

emp. Cite: [2001] N.S.R.(2d) TBEd. JA.029

Her Majesty The Queen v. Mark Anthony Hill

(Court File No. 957094-96)

Indexed As: R. v. Hill (M.A.)

Nova Scotia Provincial Court

Gibson, A.C.J.P.C.

January 12, 2001.

Summary:

The accused was charged with various drug offences under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The accused sought to exclude evidence seized by police pursuant to a warrant. The accused claimed that his s. 8 Charter rights were violated because the warrant was not valid.

The Nova Scotia Provincial Court held that the accused's s. 8 Charter rights were not violated.

Criminal Law - Topic 3046

Special powers - Search warrants - Validi­ty of - Time frame for search - On March 8, 2000, a Justice of the Peace issued a warrant under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act authorizing the police to search premises "at any time" - The police executed the warrant on March 9, 2000 - An accused claimed that the scope of the warrant should be limited to the date it was issued, or the Justice of the Peace exceeded her jurisdiction by failing to limit the time during which the warrant could be executed - The Nova Scotia Provincial Court held that failure to limit the time frame during which the warrant was to be executed did not limit the execution to the date on which it was issued - The court stated that "while it is preferable to limit the time of execution of a search warrant, particularly in respect of residential premi­ses, a Justice of the Peace who fails to do so with respect to a s. 11 Controlled Drugs and Substances Act warrant is not acting in excess of his jurisdiction." - See para­graphs 23 to 41.

Criminal Law - Topic 3098

Special powers - Issue of search warrants -Contents of search warrant - Time frame for search - [See Criminal Law - Topic 3046 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 3188

Special powers - Setting aside search warrants - Grounds - Error of jurisdiction -[See Criminal Law - Topic 3046 ].

Narcotic Control - Topic 2027

Search and seizure - Search warrants - Form and contents - Time frame for search - [See Criminal Law - Topic 3046 ].

Cases Noticed:

Southam Inc. v. Hunter, [1984] 2 S.C.R. 145; 55 N.R. 241; 55 A.R. 291; 41 C.R.(3d) 97, refd to. [para. 7].

R. v. Collins, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 265; 74 N.R. 276; 33 C.C.C.(3d) 1, refd to. [para. 7].

R. v. Garofoli et al., [1990] 2 S.C.R. 1421; 116 N.R. 241; 43 O.A.C. 1; 36 Q.A.C. 161; 60 C.C.C.(3d) 161, refd to. [para. 7].

R. v. Debot, [1989] 2 S.C.R. 1140; 102 N.R. 161; 37 O.A.C. 1; 52 C.C.C.(3d) 193, refd to. [para. 7].

R. v. Grant (D.), [1993] 3 S.C.R. 223; 159 N.R. 161; 35 B.C.A.C. 1; 57 W.A.C. 1; 84 C.C.C.(3d) 173, refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. Wiley (R.W.), [1993] 3 S.C.R. 263; 158 N.R. 321; 34 B.C.A.C. 135; 56 W.A.C. 135; 84 C.C.C.(3d) 161, refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. Plant (R.S.), [1993] 3 S.C.R. 281; 157 N.R. 321; 145 A.R. 104; 55 W.A.C. 104; 84 C.C.C.(3d) 203, refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. Richter, [1994] 7 W.W.R. 753; 120 Sask.R. 257; 68 W.A.C. 257 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. Carroll and Barker (1989), 88 N.S.R.(2d) 165; 225 A.P.R. 165 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. Halnuck (1991), 101 N.S.R.(2d) 245; 275 A.P.R. 245 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. MacFarlane (1992), 100 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 302; 318 A.P.R. 302; 76 C.C.C.(3d) 54 (P.E.I.C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. Hosie (G.) (1996), 91 O.A.C. 281; 107 C.C.C.(3d) 385 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. Lewis (W.M.J.) (1997), 214 A.R. 371 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. Anthony, [1998] N.S.J. No. 529 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. Sutherland (M.) (2000), 139 O.A.C. 53 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. Genest, [1989] 1 S.C.R. 59; 91 N.R. 161; 19 Q.A.C. 163; 45 C.C.C.(3d) 385, refd to. [para. 23].

R. v. Tooze, [1995] O.J. No. 2947 (Prov. Ct.), dist. [para. 23].

R. v. Goodbaum (1977), 38 C.C.C.(2d) 473 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 26].

R. v. Carroll and Barker (1988), 84 N.S.R.(2d) 309; 213 A.P.R. 309 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 38].

R. v. Coull and Dawe (1986), 33 C.C.C.(3d) 186 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 39].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Fontana, Law of Search and Seizure in Canada (4th Ed.), p. 132 [paras. 33, 35].

MacFarlane, Frater and Proulx, Drug Of­fences in Canada (3rd Ed.), generally [para. 23].

Counsel:

Timothy McLaughlin, for the Crown;

Stanley MacDonald, for the defendant.

This application was heard at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, before Gibson, A.C.J.P.C., of the Nova Scotia Provincial Court, who delivered the following decision on January 12, 2001.