Criminal Code

Marginal note:Application for authorization

• 185 (1) An application for an authorization to be given under section 186 shall be made ex parte and in writing to a judge of a superior court of criminal jurisdiction or a judge as defined in section 552 and shall be signed by the Attorney General of the province in which the application is made or the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness or an agent specially designated in writing for the purposes of this section by

  • (a) the Minister personally or the Deputy Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness personally, if the offence under investigation is one in respect of which proceedings, if any, may be instituted at the instance of the Government of Canada and conducted by or on behalf of the Attorney General of Canada, or

  • (b) the Attorney General of a province personally or the Deputy Attorney General of a province personally, in any other case,

  and shall be accompanied by an affidavit, which may be sworn on the information and belief of a peace officer or public officer deposing to the following matters:

  • (c) the facts relied on to justify the belief that an authorization should be given together with particulars of the offence,

  • (d) the type of private communication proposed to be intercepted,

  • (e) the names, addresses and occupations, if known, of all persons, the interception of whose private communications there are reasonable grounds to believe may assist the investigation of the offence, a general description of the nature and location of the place, if known, at which private communications are proposed to be intercepted and a general description of the manner of interception proposed to be used,

  • (f) the number of instances, if any, on which an application has been made under this section in relation to the offence and a person named in the affidavit pursuant to paragraph (e) and on which the application was withdrawn or no authorization was given, the date on which each application was made and the name of the judge to whom each application was made,

  • (g) the period for which the authorization is requested, and

  • (h) whether other investigative procedures have been tried and have failed or why it appears they are unlikely to succeed or that the urgency of the matter is such that it would be impractical to carry out the investigation of the offence using only other investigative procedures.

• Marginal note:Exception for criminal organizations and terrorist groups

  (1.1) Notwithstanding paragraph (1)(h), that paragraph does not apply where the application for an authorization is in relation to

  • (a) an offence under section 467.11, 467.111, 467.12 or 467.13;

  • (b) an offence committed for the benefit of, at the direction of or in association with a criminal organization; or

  • (c) a terrorism offence.

• Marginal note:Extension of period for notification

  (2) An application for an authorization may be accompanied by an application, personally signed by the Attorney General of the province in which the application for the authorization is made or the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness if the application for the authorization is made by him or on his behalf, to substitute for the period mentioned in subsection 196(1) such longer period not exceeding three years as is set out in the application.

• Marginal note:Where extension to be granted

  (3) Where an application for an authorization is accompanied by an application referred to in subsection (2), the judge to whom the applications are made shall first consider the application referred to in subsection (2) and where, on the basis of the affidavit in support of the application for the authorization and any other affidavit evidence submitted in support of the application referred to in subsection (2), the judge is of the opinion that the interests of justice warrant the granting of the application, he shall fix a period, not exceeding three years, in substitution for the period mentioned in subsection 196(1).

• Marginal note:If extension not granted

  (4) If the judge to whom an application for an authorization and an application referred to in subsection (2) are made refuses to fix a period in substitution for the period mentioned in subsection 196(1) or if the judge fixes a shorter period than the one set out in the application referred to in subsection (2), the person submitting the application for the authorization may withdraw that application and, if it is withdrawn, the judge shall not proceed to consider it or to give the authorization and shall destroy, or return to that person, both applications and all other material pertaining to them.