Criminal Code

Marginal note:Special search warrant

• 462.32 (1) Subject to subsection (3), if a judge, on application of the Attorney General, is satisfied by information on oath in Form 1 that there are reasonable grounds to believe that there is in any building, receptacle or place, within the province in which the judge has jurisdiction or any other province, any property in respect of which an order of forfeiture may be made under subsection 462.37(1) or (2.01) or 462.38(2), in respect of a designated offence alleged to have been committed within the province in which the judge has jurisdiction, the judge may issue a warrant authorizing a person named in the warrant or a peace officer to search the building, receptacle or place for that property and to seize that property and any other property in respect of which that person or peace officer believes, on reasonable grounds, that an order of forfeiture may be made under that subsection.

• Marginal note:Procedure

  (2) An application for a warrant under subsection (1) may be made ex parte, shall be made in writing and shall include a statement as to whether any previous applications have been made under subsection (1) with respect to the property that is the subject of the application.

• Marginal note:Execution in Canada

  (2.1) A warrant issued under subsection (1) may be executed at any place in Canada. Any peace officer who executes the warrant must have authority to act as a peace officer in the place where it is executed.

• (2.2) [Repealed, 2019, c. 25, s. 180]

• Marginal note:Other provisions to apply

  (3) Subsections 487(2.1) to (3) and section 488 apply, with any modifications that the circumstances require, to a warrant issued under this section.

• Marginal note:Detention and record of property seized

  (4) Every person who executes a warrant issued by a judge under this section shall

  • (a) during that execution, give the following to any person who is present and ostensibly in control of the building, receptacle or place to be searched or, in the absence of any such person, affix the following in a prominent location within the building or place or on or next to the receptacle:

    • (i) a copy of the warrant, and

    • (ii) a notice in Form 5.1 setting out the address of the court from which a copy of the report on the property seized may be obtained;

  • (a.1) detain or cause to be detained the property seized, taking reasonable care to ensure that the property is preserved so that it may be dealt with in accordance with the law;

  • (b) as soon as practicable after the execution of the warrant but within a period not exceeding seven days thereafter, prepare a report in Form 5.3, identifying the property seized and the location where the property is being detained, and cause the report to be filed with the clerk of the court; and

  • (c) cause a copy of the report to be provided, on request, to the person from whom the property was seized and to any other person who, in the opinion of the judge, appears to have a valid interest in the property.

• Marginal note:Return of proceeds

  (4.1) Subject to this or any other Act of Parliament, a peace officer who has seized anything under a warrant issued by a judge under this section may, with the written consent of the Attorney General, on being issued a receipt for it, return the thing seized to the person lawfully entitled to its possession, if

  • (a) the peace officer is satisfied that there is no dispute as to who is lawfully entitled to possession of the thing seized;

  • (b) the peace officer is satisfied that the continued detention of the thing seized is not required for the purpose of forfeiture; and

  • (c) the thing seized is returned before a report is filed with the clerk of the court under paragraph (4)(b).

• Marginal note:Notice

  (5) Before issuing a warrant under this section in relation to any property, a judge may require notice to be given to and may hear any person who, in the opinion of the judge, appears to have a valid interest in the property unless the judge is of the opinion that giving such notice before the issuance of the warrant would result in the disappearance, dissipation or reduction in value of the property or otherwise affect the property so that all or a part thereof could not be seized pursuant to the warrant.

• Marginal note:Undertakings by Attorney General

  (6) Before issuing a warrant under this section, a judge shall require the Attorney General to give such undertakings as the judge considers appropriate with respect to the payment of damages or costs, or both, in relation to the issuance and execution of the warrant.