Criminal Law

R. v. Golden

In Golden, the Supreme Court of Canada addressed the constitutionality police strip searches incident to arrest. A majority of the Court concluded that "[s]trip searches are inherently humiliating and degrading for detainees regardless of the manner in which they are carried out and for this reason they cannot be carried out simply as a matter of routine policy." The majority held that the police must have reasonable grounds to believe that a strip search is necessary in the circumstances, and imposed new restrictions controlling the manner in which such searches are conducted.

The Intervenor, Canadian Civil Liberties Association, was represented by Frank Addario and Jonathan Dawe.

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