The respondents were charged with indictable offences and required to appear for fingerprinting under the Identification of Criminals Act prior to conviction.
They challenged the requirement as a violation of section 7 of the Charter.
The Supreme Court of Canada held that while mandatory fingerprinting deprives a person of liberty and security of the person, it does not violate the principles of fundamental justice.
The Court found that fingerprinting is a minimally intrusive, reliable, and necessary tool for law enforcement that is less serious than the arrest itself.
