Media Advisory

Charter challenge to be withdrawn

Ottawa, July 4, 2003 - The Interim Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Mr. Robert Marleau, announced today that his office has instructed counsel to withdraw its appeal into the case involving video surveillance activities by the RCMP in Kelowna, B.C.

Last summer, the previous Commissioner had launched an action to declare the RCMP's video surveillance activities in Kelowna unconstitutional as a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and international covenants.

Although the Commissioner and his office continue to have a variety of concerns regarding video surveillance of public places by public authorities, continuing this particular action is not perceived as a useful way of spending public funds.

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For more information, please contact:

Anne-Marie Hayden
Media Relations
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Tel.: (613) 995-0103
ahayden@priv.gc.ca
www.priv.gc.ca