Whither the Reasonable Expectations of Privacy?

• Author: Avner Levin
• Pages: 240-253



WhithertheReasonable

ExpectationsofPrivacy

Avner Levin*

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;

the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.

Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

GeorgeBernardShaw

A. INTRODUCTION

Thischapterproposesanewwayoflegallythinkingaboutreasonable

expectationsofprivacysothatthelegalnormsformulatedbyourSu

premeCourtandappliedbyitandallourlowercourtsreachabeer

twiththenormsandexpectationsofCanadiansItproposesthatpri

vacyexpectationsshouldbebasedrstandforemostonafulledged

righttoprivacyratherthanjustonsectionoftheCharter of Rights and

FreedomsSucharightwouldandshouldbereadintotheCharter by

theSupremeCourtgiventheimpressivenumberofcourtdecisionsthat

alreadyawardprivacyaquasiconstitutionalstatusSecondourlegal

normsparticularlyintherapidlyevolvingareaofprivacyandtechnol

ogyshouldevolvesothattheyreectsocietalnormsoverexpectations

ofprivacyThereareareasofhumanrightswherethelawpridesitself

onseinganormativestandardthatishigherindeedoftenopposedto

themoresofsocietysuchastheyarebutprivacylawshouldnotbe

oneofthoseareasInfacttherighttoprivacyinoursocietywhether

 ProfessorLawandBusinessRyersonUniversity