Legal Issues In Policing

E126| To knock or not to knock?

Legal Issues In Policing

Show Notes

Provide your feedback here. Anonymously send me a text message. In this episode, Mike discusses the Ontario Court of Appeal decision R. v. Ngo, 2025 ONCA 685 where police conducted a no-knock entry when executing a search warrant? Was departing from the knock-and-announce rule justified in the circumstances? Or did police action render the manner of search unreasonable? Lower court decision (R. v. Ngo, 2022 ONSC 3700) Sentencing decision (R. v. Ngo, 2023 ONSC 282) Thanks for listening!...

More from Legal Issues In Policing

Oct 16, 2026

Provide your feedback here. Anonymously send me a text message. In this episode, Mike discusses the Court of Quebec decision R. v. Reddick, 2026 QCCQ 4237, where police conducted a warrantless inventory search of an impounded vehicle. An officer opened the trunk, lifted the floor covering to inspect the spare-tire compartment, and found a knotted bag. The officer untied the knotted bag and found two more knotted bags nested within one another, which he also untied to discover 500 grams of he...

Oct 7, 2026

Provide your feedback here. Anonymously send me a text message. In this episode, Mike discusses the Ontario Court of Justice decision R. v. Nikocevic, 2026 ONCJ 429, where a police officer's arrest was challenged on the basis that he did not comply with the statutorily binding public interest and court appearance factors found in s. 495(2) of the Criminal Code when making an arrest under s. 495(1). In cross examination, the officer was questioned about the limitations on his power of a...

Sep 25, 2026

Provide your feedback here. Anonymously send me a text message. In this episode, Mike discusses the Ontario Court of Justice decision R. v. Angelone, 2026 ONCJ 559, where a police officer relied on an Automated Licence Plate Reader (ALPR) hit that a vehicle was stolen as grounds for arrest. When the driver's satchel was searched, police found carfentanil. In court, the driver argued: (1) his arrest was arbitrary because the ALPR hit did not provide the necessary grounds to arrest him u...

Sep 21, 2026

Provide your feedback here. Anonymously send me a text message. In this episode, Mike discusses the Ontario Court of Appeal decision R. v. Randall, 2026 ONCA 631, where a police officer stopped a driver for tinted windows and saw an unwrapped cannabis vape pen in plain sight near the gearshift. Thinking he had enough grounds under Ontario's Cannabis Control Act for a search of the driver and the vehicle, the officer ultimately discovered controlled substances, evidence of trafficking, ...

Aug 20, 2026

Provide your feedback here. Anonymously send me a text message. In this episode, Mike responds to a listener's question about whether a search would still be lawful if an officer had multiple, simultaneous reasons for searching, and the court found some — but not all of the reasons — were objectively unreasonable? Would having an invalid reason in mind when searching nullify a coexistent valid reason for a search? References: R. v. Spice, 2026 SKPC 14R. v. Annett, 17 C.C.C. (3d) 332 (O...

See all episodes →