An Act to promote the efficiency and adaptability of the Canadian economy by regulating certain activities that discourage reliance on electronic means of carrying out commercial activities, and to amend the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act, the Competition Act, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and the Telecommunications Act (S.C. 2010, c. 23)

Marginal note:Warrant

• 19 (1) On an ex parte application, a justice of the peace may issue a warrant authorizing a person who is designated for the purpose of this section and who is named in the warrant to enter a place if the justice is satisfied by information on oath that

  • (a) entry to the place is necessary to

    • (i) verify compliance with this Act,

    • (ii) determine whether any of sections 6 to 9 has been contravened, or

    • (iii) assist an investigation or proceeding in respect of a contravention of the laws of a foreign state that address conduct that is substantially similar to conduct prohibited under any of sections 6 to 9; and

  • (b) if the place is a dwelling-house, entry has been refused or there are reasonable grounds to believe that entry will be refused or that consent to entry cannot be obtained from the occupant.

• Marginal note:Conditions in warrant

  (2) The warrant may contain any conditions that the justice considers appropriate, including conditions to protect privileged information.

• Marginal note:Powers in execution of warrant

  (3) Subject to the conditions specified in the warrant, in executing the warrant, the designated person may, for any purpose set out in subparagraphs (1)(a)(i) to (iii),

  • (a) examine anything that is found in the place;

  • (b) use any means of communication found in the place or cause it to be used;

  • (c) use any computer system found in the place — or cause it to be used — to examine data contained in, or available to, the system;

  • (d) prepare a document — or cause it to be prepared — based on the data;

  • (e) use any copying equipment — or cause it to be used — to make copies of documents;

  • (f) remove anything found in the place for examination or copying; and

  • (g) prohibit or limit access to all or part of the place.

• Marginal note:Assistance to designated persons

  (4) The owner of the place, the person in charge of the place and every person found in the place must give all assistance that is reasonably required to enable the designated person to execute the warrant and must provide any documents, data and information — including information establishing their identity — that are reasonably required for that purpose.

• Marginal note:Execution of warrant

  (5) A warrant must be executed between six o’clock in the morning and nine o’clock in the evening unless the justice authorizes its execution at another time.

• Marginal note:Entry onto private property

  (6) For the purpose of gaining entry to the place referred to in the warrant issued under subsection (1), the designated person may enter private property and pass through it, and is not liable for doing so. For greater certainty, no person has the right to object to that use of the property and no warrant is required for entry onto the property, other than for entry to a dwelling-house.

• Marginal note:Persons accompanying designated person

  (7) A person may, at the designated person’s request, accompany the designated person to assist the designated person to gain entry to the place referred to in the warrant and is not liable for doing so.

• Marginal note:Use of force

  (8) In executing a warrant, a designated person must not use force unless they are accompanied by a peace officer and the use of force has been specifically authorized in the warrant.