03/19/2026
Yesterday, Professors Sunil Gurmukh from Western Law and Scot Wortley from U of T’s Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies released Unlawful Enforcers. This ground-breaking report reveals that, in the past 10 years, courts ruled that police services from Toronto, Peel, York, Durham and Ottawa violated the Charter over 1000 times in over 600 cases. The true extent of the problem is even larger.
The report highlights how police violations of the Charter negatively impact the physical and mental health of victims, public trust and public safety. Guns, drugs, reliable evidence of child po*******hy and breathalyzer test results are being excluded from evidence in trials. Accused, who engaged in criminal activity, are walking free. Systemic issues contribute to the problem.
The goal of Unlawful Enforcers is to encourage systemic change. To this end, the report’s recommendations are geared towards monitoring, transparency, accountability, systemic issues and independent oversight.
Unlawful Enforcers is an example of experiential learning in the public interest. Professor Gurmukh was supported by ten JD student research assistants. The previous JD student research assistants are: Aleks Acimovic, Blerta Gjoci, Julianne de Gara, Lera Nwineh, Rahul Sapra, Harjot Jagpal, Pearlie Kamwa and Patrick Carl. The current two JD student research assistants are Sarah DiPronio and Arman Lakhu.
Unlawful Enforcers has received endorsements from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Black Legal Action Centre and Criminal Lawyers’ Association – leading voices who defend Charter rights.
Read the report here: https://law.uwo.ca/research/research_groups_and_institutes/public_law_research_group/unlawful_enforcers.html
