OTTAWA, April 13 (UPI) -- The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Friday that emergency wiretapping without a warrant is unconstitutional.
The court said its decision will not take effect for 12 months to give Parliament time to draft a new wiretapping law, The Ottawa Citizen reported.
Requiring warrants issued by judges would "enhance the ability of targeted individuals to identify and challenge invasions to their privacy and seek meaningful remedies," the justices said.
Police can now intercept phone calls without a warrant if they believe it is necessary to prevent harm and if a warrant cannot be obtained quickly.
The court dismissed an appeal by five men who said they were wrongfully convicted by evidence acquired through an emergency wiretap.
The men, all British Columbia residents, were convicted of kidnapping a drug kingpin, his wife and a friend in 2006 and holding him for 25 days while he was tortured.
