{"id":5451,"date":"2023-06-29T09:42:39","date_gmt":"2023-06-29T09:42:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sarahleamonlaw.com\/?p=5451"},"modified":"2023-08-02T17:52:06","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T17:52:06","slug":"police-entrapment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sarahleamonlaw.com\/blog\/police-entrapment\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Police Entrapment: Your Rights, Protections, and Legal Defence"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Entrapment is a defence that protects individuals from overzealous or inappropriate police tactics. These tactics can involve situations where law enforcement officers induce someone to commit a crime that they would not have otherwise committed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While these measures might be intended to catch criminals, they can sometimes blur the line between legitimate law enforcement and coercion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Is the Legal Definition of Entrapment?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Entrapment is the act of law enforcement officers or government agents inducing or encouraging a person to commit a crime when the potential criminal expresses a desire not to go ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The principle behind this defence lies in the belief that inducing criminal conduct compromises the integrity of the justice system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This defence takes root from the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in the landmark case of R. v. Mack, [1988] 2 S.C.R. 903 – which remains a pivotal benchmark in the development and understanding of entrapment law in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The defendant in this case, Carlisle Mack, was convicted for drug trafficking. The conviction was based on evidence obtained through an undercover police officer who posed as a drug dealer interested in purchasing cocaine from Mack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The officer built a relationship with Mack over several months, during which Mack repeatedly resisted selling drugs. Eventually, after significant pressure, Mack gave in and arranged the sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the case reached the Supreme Court of Canada, the court had to consider whether the police had entrapped Mack. The court’s ruling set a precedent for the legal definition of entrapment in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Supreme Court held that entrapment occurs when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n