Police will often use information from informants to build a case against a target in a drug investigation. Search warrants or wiretap authorizations are often based on what they tell their police handlers. Informants are dangerous because their identity is protected by the law and never revealed, which makes it very difficult to challenge the information they have provided to police. Informants often lie or exaggerate, and they have their own agenda; often they something to gain by providing information, such as a break on their own criminal case; money; or the elimination of a rival. It takes a great deal of finesse and a sophisticated knowledge of this area of the law because the Crown and the courts are very reluctant to permit the disclosure of any evidence or permit any questioning that could remotely come close to exposing the informant’s identity. Yet if the information can be shown to be unreliable, or challenged so that it must be removed from consideration in the case, or in the search warrant or wiretap authorization, it can spell the end of the Crown’s case.
Only a lawyer with the experience in dealing with challenges to confidential informants should be entrusted with your case in such a situation. At The Defence Group, we have the knowledge and skill to prepare and carry out an effective attack on the informants’ privilege.