Canadian Supreme Court Confirms Law Enforcement Power to Collect Terrorist Communications

On November 30, 2018, a unanimous Supreme Court of Canada issued its decision in R v Vice Media Inc, which will support law enforcement officials in terrorism investigations and prosecutions.  Police can apply to judges, without giving notice to the party holding the evidence, to obtain the content of communications involving suspected terrorists.  Even more significantly, these ex parte orders may compel journalists and media organizations to produce such texts, emails and other communications from terrorists.