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New impaired driving laws called ‘groundless’ by Ottawa lawyer

Chances if you’ve had your driver’s license for a few years, you’ve been pulled over by a cop.

You may have also been through a few check stops.

However, as of December 18,you might be subjected to a mandatory test in those situations, even if you haven’t done anything wrong.

“If a police officer pulls over anybody for any reason and they happen to have an approved screening device in their vehicle, we can ask somebody and demand that they blow the approved screening device right there,” says Staff Sergeant Sean Maxwell with Redcliff RCMP.

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However, one lawyer says this could cause more problems that it solves.

“There’s a real concern this is going to disproportionately affect minorities in our society,” says Michael Spratt, an Ottawa defence lawyer. “That means if you’re especially a young black or Arab male, you’re likely going to get pulled over more often for no reason.”

“We’re for sure gonna see challenges in court but we won’t see them for a while,” he added. “These things take time to make their way through court.”

Spratt says this is concerning, because those challenges could take up to a year and half to make their way through the courts.

Overcrowding the system even more than it already is.

“Were gonna see our courts backed up dealing with these sorts of cases,” he said. “That of course means our courts will not be in a position some of the other very serious and violent offences.”

Read Jessie Weisner’s full article: Chat News Today

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