Evidence admissible in drug case despite Charter concerns, Supreme Court rules

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld a man’s drug-related conviction, saying evidence in his case is admissible despite concerns about violation of his Charter rights.

In February 2017 near Banff, Alta., a police officer pulled over George Zacharias’s truck because the windows were illegally tinted and a light wasn’t working.

The officer, upon suspecting illicit drug activity, called in backup support and a sniffer dog.

A search of the truck turned up a large amount of cannabis and Zacharias was arrested for possession for the purpose of trafficking.