Criminal Code

Marginal note:Warrant of seizure

• 164 (1) A judge may issue a warrant authorizing seizure of copies of a recording, a publication, a representation or any written material, if the judge is satisfied by information on oath that there are reasonable grounds to believe that

  • (a) the recording, copies of which are kept for sale or distribution in premises within the jurisdiction of the court, is a voyeuristic recording;

  • (b) the recording, copies of which are kept for sale or distribution in premises within the jurisdiction of the court, is an intimate image;

  • (c) the publication, copies of which are kept for sale or distribution in premises within the jurisdiction of the court, is obscene or a crime comic, as defined in section 163;

  • (d) the representation, written material or recording, copies of which are kept in premises within the jurisdiction of the court, is child pornography as defined in section 163.1; or

  • (e) the representation, written material or recording, copies of which are kept in premises within the jurisdiction of the court, is an advertisement of sexual services.

• Marginal note:Summons to occupier

  (2) Within seven days of the issue of a warrant under subsection (1), the judge shall issue a summons to the occupier of the premises requiring him to appear before the court and show cause why the matter seized should not be forfeited to Her Majesty.

• Marginal note:Owner and maker may appear

  (3) The owner and the maker of the matter seized under subsection (1), and alleged to be obscene, a crime comic, child pornography, a voyeuristic recording, an intimate image or an advertisement of sexual services, may appear and be represented in the proceedings to oppose the making of an order for the forfeiture of the matter.

• Marginal note:Order of forfeiture

  (4) If the court is satisfied, on a balance of probabilities, that the publication, representation, written material or recording referred to in subsection (1) is obscene, a crime comic, child pornography, a voyeuristic recording, an intimate image or an advertisement of sexual services, it may make an order declaring the matter forfeited to Her Majesty in right of the province in which the proceedings take place, for disposal as the Attorney General may direct.

• Marginal note:Disposal of matter

  (5) If the court is not satisfied that the publication, representation, written material or recording referred to in subsection (1) is obscene, a crime comic, child pornography, a voyeuristic recording, an intimate image or an advertisement of sexual services, it shall order that the matter be restored to the person from whom it was seized without delay after the time for final appeal has expired.

• Marginal note:Appeal

  (6) An appeal lies from an order made under subsection (4) or (5) by any person who appeared in the proceedings

  • (a) on any ground of appeal that involves a question of law alone,

  • (b) on any ground of appeal that involves a question of fact alone, or

  • (c) on any ground of appeal that involves a question of mixed law and fact,

  as if it were an appeal against conviction or against a judgment or verdict of acquittal, as the case may be, on a question of law alone under Part XXI and sections 673 to 696 apply with such modifications as the circumstances require.

• Marginal note:Consent

  (7) If an order is made under this section by a judge in a province with respect to one or more copies of a publication, a representation, written material or a recording, no proceedings shall be instituted or continued in that province under section 162, 162.1, 163, 163.1 or 286.4 with respect to those or other copies of the same publication, representation, written material or recording without the consent of the Attorney General.

• Marginal note:Definitions

  (8) In this section,

  advertisement of sexual services

  publicité de services sexuels

  advertisement of sexual services means any material  —  including a photographic, film, video, audio or other recording, made by any means, a visual representation or any written material  —  that is used to advertise sexual services contrary to section 286.4. (publicité de services sexuels)

  court

  tribunal

  court means

  • (a) in the Province of Quebec, the Court of Quebec, the municipal court of Montreal and the municipal court of Quebec,

  • (a.1) in the Province of Ontario, the Superior Court of Justice,

  • (b) in the Provinces of New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, the Court of Queen’s Bench,

  • (c) in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Trial Division of the Supreme Court,

  • (c.1) [Repealed, 1992, c. 51, s. 34]

  • (d) in the Provinces of Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island, in Yukon and in the Northwest Territories, the Supreme Court, and

  • (e) in Nunavut, the Nunavut Court of Justice; (tribunal)

  crime comic

  histoire illustrée de crime

  crime comic has the same meaning as in section 163; (histoire illustrée de crime)

  intimate image

  image intime

  intimate image has the same meaning as in subsection 162.1(2). (image intime)

  judge

  juge

  judge means a judge of a court. (juge)

  voyeuristic recording

  enregistrement voyeuriste

  voyeuristic recording means a visual recording within the meaning of subsection 162(2) that is made as described in subsection 162(1). (enregistrement voyeuriste)