Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (S.C. 1996, c. 19)

Marginal note:Disposal by Minister where no application

25. Where no application for the return of a controlled substance has been made under subsection 24(1) within sixty days after the date of the seizure, finding or acquisition by a peace officer or inspector and the substance or a portion of it is not required for the purposes of any preliminary inquiry, trial or other proceeding under this Act or any other Act of Parliament, the substance or the portion not required for the purposes of the proceeding shall be delivered to the Minister to be disposed of or otherwise dealt with in accordance with the regulations or, if there are no applicable regulations, in such manner as the Minister directs.

Marginal note:Security, health or safety hazard

• 26. (1) Where the Minister has reasonable grounds to believe that a controlled substance that has been seized, found or otherwise acquired by a peace officer or inspector constitutes a potential security, public health or safety hazard, the Minister may, on prior notification being given to the Attorney General in the prescribed manner, at any time, make an application, ex parte, to a justice for an order that the substance or a portion of it be forfeited to Her Majesty to be disposed of or otherwise dealt with in accordance with the regulations or, if there are no applicable regulations, in such manner as the Minister directs.

• Marginal note:Security, health or safety hazard

  (2) Where, on the hearing of an application made under subsection (1), a justice is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the controlled substance constitutes a potential security, public health or safety hazard, the justice shall order that the substance or any portion not required for the purposes of a preliminary inquiry, trial or other proceeding under this or any other Act of Parliament be forfeited to Her Majesty to be disposed of or otherwise dealt with in accordance with the regulations or, if there are no applicable regulations, in such manner as the Minister directs.

Marginal note:Disposal following proceedings

27. Subject to section 24, where, pursuant to a preliminary inquiry, trial or other proceeding under this or any other Act of Parliament, the court before which the proceedings have been brought is satisfied that any controlled substance that is the subject of proceedings before the court is no longer required by that court or any other court, the court

• (a) shall

  • (i) where it is satisfied that the person from whom the substance was seized came into possession of the substance in accordance with the regulations and continued to deal with it in accordance with the regulations, order that the substance be returned to the person, or

  • (ii) where it is satisfied that possession of the substance by the person from whom it was seized is unlawful and the person who is lawfully entitled to its possession is known, order that the substance be returned to the person who is the lawful owner or is lawfully entitled to its possession; and

• (b) may, where it is not satisfied that the substance should be returned pursuant to subparagraph (i) or (ii) or where possession of the substance by the person from whom it was seized is unlawful and the person who is the lawful owner or is lawfully entitled to its possession is not known, order that the substance be forfeited to Her Majesty to be disposed of or otherwise dealt with in accordance with the regulations or, if there are no applicable regulations, in such manner as the Minister directs.