The individual applicants were arrested at a political protest and transferred to a detention centre where they were strip searched.
They filed complaints of police misconduct under the Police Services Act.
The Chief of Police dismissed the complaints as unsubstantiated, and the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services confirmed this decision.
The Divisional Court quashed the Commission's decision, finding it patently unreasonable.
On appeal, the Court of Appeal upheld the Divisional Court's ruling, concluding that the Chief and the Commission applied the wrong evidentiary standard ("clear and convincing evidence" instead of whether the conduct "may" constitute misconduct) and failed to consider whether the applicants' Charter rights against unreasonable search and seizure were violated.
The Court of Appeal declared the applicants entitled to a hearing by a different police force.
