informer privilege

R v Brassington: Privilege Cannot Pierce Privilege

On July 20th 2018, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously held that “although solicitor-client privilege provides a near-impenetrable shield for communications with counsel, it is not a sword that can be wielded to pierce informer privilege.” In other words, privilege cannot pierce privilege. Confident and well-constructed, Justice Abella’s decision for the Court in R v […]

Anonymity at Risk? The Scope of Informer Privilege in R v Durham Regional Crime Stoppers Inc

In R v Durham Regional Crime Stoppers Inc, 2017 SCC 45 [Crime Stoppers] the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) recognized the essential function that confidential informers play by assisting police in criminal investigations and within the justice system as a whole, as well as the necessity of protecting the informers' identity from retaliation. Yet despite these acknowledgments, the […]