Lawful Access – Consultation Document

Tags: 2000s Canada

Published: August 2002

URL: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cons/la-al/consult.html

Abstract: On August 25, 2002, the Canadian Department of Justice published a consultation document on Lawful Access, an “important and well-established technique used by law enforcement and national security agencies to conduct investigations” involving the interception of communications and search and seizure of information pursuant to legislative and criminal code authorizations. The Department of Justice described tool as essential in the “prevention, investigation and prosecution of serious offences and the investigation of threats to the security of Canada.” The Consultation Document featured a series of legislative proposals, focused on modernizing the infrastructure capabilities and amending the criminal code (and other authorizing statutes), to ensure Lawful Access remained consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and adapted to rapid technological changes.