Driving Law Episode 445: Supreme Court Expands Police Powers on Private Property (R v Singer)
About this episode
The episode discusses a Supreme Court of Canada ruling on police entry onto private property in impaired driving cases.
This week on Driving Law, Kyla Lee and Paul Doroshenko break down a major Supreme Court of Canada decision in R v Singer, addressing whether police can enter private property to investigate impaired driving complaints. The Court ruled that police may enter onto private property for the purpose of communicating with an occupant, but not for the purpose of gathering evidence. The decision draws a fine distinction between communication and investigation, leaving significant uncertainty about how the rule will be applied in practice. The episode explores what this means for drivers, how defence lawyers can challenge police conduct going forward, and what steps individuals can take to protect their privacy rights. Plus, the Ridiculous Driver of the Week features a vehicle modified with full window drapes instead of tint. Check out the "Lawyer Told Me Not To Talk To You" T-shirts and hoodies at Lawyertoldme.com and "Sit Still Jackson" at sitstilljackson.com.
People in this episode
Hosts: Kyla Lee, Paul Doroshenko
Topics covered
- Supreme Court decision
- police powers
- private property
- impaired driving
- privacy rights
- defense strategies
Keywords
- Supreme Court
- police entry
- impaired driving
- privacy rights
- R v Singer
- defense lawyers
- investigation
- communication
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Supreme Court of Canada
More episodes of Driving Law
- Driving Law Episode 449: THC Driving Laws, Constitutional Concerns & U.S. Injury Systems
- Driving Law Episode 448: Impaired Driving Causation + AI Legal Risks
- Driving Law Episode 447: Breath Test Disclosure Win + Right to Counsel Expands
- Driving Law Episode 446: Supreme Court Clarifies Police Entry onto Private Property + Tesla Self-Driving Risks
- Episode 444: Right to Counsel Violations, Tracking Warrants & Impaired Driving Law Updates
- Driving Law Episode 443: Hit and Run Claims, Breath Test Refusals & a Police Cruiser on a Trailer
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