The Crown brought applications seeking the issuance of summonses to compel the appearance of four respondents who missed their fingerprint dates during the COVID-19 courthouse closure.
The respondents were required to comply with the Identification of Criminals Act but were unable to do so when courthouses closed in March 2020.
The Crown sought summonses as a less intrusive alternative to arrest warrants.
The court granted the applications, finding statutory authority under section 512(1) of the Criminal Code to issue summonses for the purpose of compelling appearance for fingerprinting and photography, interpreting the relevant provisions harmoniously with Parliament's expressed principle of restraint.
