Searches: Airports; Police; Drugs; Exclusion of Evidence
On December 22, 2008, The Honourable Justice Simon MacDonald excluded 3 kilos of cocaine that were seized from Mandeep Chehil at the Halifax International Airport. Justice MacDonald ruled that the drugs were seized in violation of Mr. Chehil's right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure, contrary to s.8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedeoms and found that there was a "cozy" relationship between the Halifax Westjet office and the RCMP, in that the Halifax Westjet office allowed the RCMP to review their passenger manifests (and all of the personal information attached thereto) without a warrant and contrary to PIPEDA. The Chehil decision can be found at: http://www.halifaxcriminaldefenselawyerblog.com/ar-m350_20081222_110337.pdf
