Nunavut judge: cops didn’t explain accused man’s Charter right to remain silent – NunatsiaqOnline

September 12, 2017

“This case highlights the vulnerable position of many Nunavummiut when dealing with the police”

A statement given to the RCMP by a Nunavut man arrested for an alleged sexual assault is “inadmissible as evidence, and it may not be tendered or referred to at his trial,” a Nunavut judge has determined.

That’s because the RCMP did not observe his rights, said Nunavut Justice Paul Bychok in the case of JD Angootealuk.

The officer who arrested Angootealuk didn’t adequately explain to Angootealuk that he had the right to remain silent, a right that’s guaranteed under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Then, the officer who interrogated Angootealuk ignored “red flags,” which showed that Angootealuk didn’t understand what the RCMP member was saying.

Read More: http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_judge_cops_didnt_explain_accused_mans_right_to_remain_silent/