In a potentially significant 5-2 ruling, the high court set aside the convictions against Nour Marakah, whose messages were found by Toronto police on the mobile phone of an alleged accomplice. OTTAWA—Canadians can expect the texts they send to remain private — at least in some cases — even after the messages reach their destination, the Supreme Court declared Friday in setting aside the firearms convictions of a man whose sent messages were uncovered by police. However, McLachlin concluded the messages were lawfully seized and, as a result, his constitutional rights were not breached. The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association intervened in the case, arguing that police should have to meet more stringent warrant requirements when seeking text messages from a telecommunications provider. The Supreme Court decision “is an unfortunate development in the law,” said Caily DiPuma, the association’s acting litigation director.

Source: thestar December 08, 2017 17:03 UTC