Ottawa and provinces ask Supreme Court to uphold routine traffic stops

Federal and several provincial governments asked the Supreme Court to uphold a Quebec law allowing police to make routine traffic stops without reasonable suspicion, while civil rights groups say such stops produce racial profiling. The court heard arguments and has reserved judgment with no date set for a decision.

The Supreme Court of Canada heard arguments in an appeal over a Quebec law that lets police stop motorists without reasonable suspicion. Federal and provincial lawyers told the court they want the law upheld as a way to detect impaired, unlicensed or unsafe driving. Civil rights groups and representatives of Black and Indigenous communities argued routine stops lead to racial profiling and noted lower courts had found the provision unconstitutional. Key facts: - The federal government and several provinces asked the Supreme Court to uphold Quebec’s rule allowing police to stop vehicles without reasonable suspicion. - Civil rights interveners said data show racialized drivers are stopped more often and argued the law lacks safeguards against discriminatory enforcement; Quebec courts previously ruled the provision inoperative. - The Supreme Court heard oral arguments and then took the case under advisement; the judges did not provide a date for a decision. Summary: The outcome could affect how police powers around traffic stops are applied across Canada and how concerns about discriminatory enforcement are addressed. The Supreme Court has reserved judgment and the timing of its ruling is undetermined at this time.