The Supreme Court of Canada is hearing arguments today on a Quebec case that could have far-reaching implications on policing across Canada.
Quebec’s attorney general is set to argue against a lower court decision that invalidated random police traffic stops, finding that they led to racial profiling and violated Quebecers’ rights.
Joseph-Christopher Luamba, the young man at the origin of this case, was pulled over by police nearly a dozen times without reason in the 18 months after he got his driver’s licence.
He told Quebec Superior Court in 2022 that when he sees a police cruiser, he gets ready to pull over.
Luamba, who is Black, said he believes he was racially profiled during the traffic stops — none of which resulted in a ticket.
“I was frustrated,” he told the court back then. “Why was I stopped? I followed the rules. I didn’t commit any infractions.”
For fucking what? What good have “random” (read: motivated by the officers biases) searches ever done for public safety?
I think the “to randomly stop people” is for decoration. They’re actually describing the authoritarian personality disorder that makes someone want to be a cop. “The police need power” is the essence. And I say, fuck that! The police need boundaries, better judgement, and a shock or two to the system because I agree with another commenter, ACAB.