Charter protects employees’ privacy in data stored on employer computers rules Supreme court in R v Cole
The Supreme Court released its reasons in R. v. Cole, 2012 SCC 53 on Friday. It confirmed that a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy in his personal computer, even if it is owned by his or her employer. A police search of the computer without a warrant violated the accused’s rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. However, the evidence could nevertheless be admitted into evidence on the facts of the case.
The facts in R v Cole were summed up in the headnote of the case as follows:
…The accused, a high-school teacher, was charged with possession of child pornography and unauthorized use of a computer.
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