Who should use Hutchison's Search Warrant Manual?
It's primarily used by police investigators, Crown counsel, defense counsel, and judicial justices who need a practical guide to warrant applications, review standards, disclosure duties, and drafting pitfalls in Canadian search-and-seizure law.
What topics does the manual cover?
The book includes coverage on:
- The organizing principles of search and seizure in Canada
- The roles and responsibilities of participants in the warrant process
- The conventional Criminal Code warrant (s. 487)
- Practical chapters on drafting approaches and describing items, places, and offences in a warrant/ITO
Does Hutchison's Search Warrant Manual cover computer / digital evidence search warrants?
Yes. It includes specific treatment of computer searches, issues such as framing the "place to be searched", and a dedicated chapter on computers and search warrants (including issues like over seizure, timing, and practical execution considerations).
Does the manual include tools to help with drafting?
Yes. It includes general and specific warrant checklists (for applicants and judicial officers), and it's designed to support drafting with precedent-style language, with appendices that include relevant Criminal Code provisions for quick reference.
