Tariffs-Free Regulatory Importing?
Asad Akhtar
Crime Program, and OPP’s Anti-Rackets Unit. The team consists of law enforcement officers,
litigators, investigators, and forensic accountants.147 While housed in the OSC’s offices, the
division is completely segregated from the rest of the organization.
Beyond the physical collectiveness, JSOT investigators have a wider investigative arsenal
than under the Act. As JSOT investigators have been deemed Special Constables under s. 53(2)
of the Police Services Act, they are empowered to utilize investigative tools under the Criminal
Code of Canada. This includes the ability to obtain warrants for intercepting e-mails,
wiretapping conversations, and covertly enter premises to search and install video cameras. 148
These broader tools allow JSOT to obtain more significant pieces of evidence than would be
obtainable otherwise.
4. Early Successes with JSOT
In comparison to IMET, JSOT has achieved considerable success in bringing prompt and
effective enforcement action against individuals alleged to be committing serious breaches of the
Act. In the 16 months following its inception, JSOT investigated twenty-two matters, brought
fives cases before the Superior Courts and an additional nine before the OCJ.149
Rouge Valley Health System Data Breach
In June 2015, a widely publicized data breach at Rouge Valley Health System resulted in
JSOT levying nineteen criminal charges against several individuals.150 In this case, confidential
patient information was stolen by hospital personnel and sold to financial firms as potential sale
Arshy Mann, “Joint Serious Offences Team already having an impact”, Canadian Lawyer (September 17, 2014)
online: Canadian Lawyer .
148
Supra note 145.
149
Supra note 147.
150
CBC, “Rouge Valley Health System privacy breaches lead to 19 charges”, CBC (June 3, 2015) online: CBC
.
147
41