Peel police issue internal memo after officers fail to return Sikh man's turban
Judge dismissed impaired driving charge man faced, saying police breached his Charter rights
A Toronto-area police force has reminded its officers of a directive regarding the proper search and handling of religious
items after a court dismissed a drunk driving charge against a Sikh man whose turban fell off his head during the arrest.
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Charges of impaired operation and excess blood alcohol against Sardul Singh were dismissed because Peel Regional Police officers did not return his turban after it fell while he was being placed in a cruiser.
Ontario Court Justice Jill Copeland, in a decision released last month, wrote that the failure to return Singh's turban while he was in custody constituted a Charter breach.
Copeland ruled that the breach of the defendant's right to freedom of religion by police was a serious one, and that Singh's breath sample evidence should be excluded because its admission into evidence would bring the administration of justice into disrepute.
In a statement Friday, Peel police Chief Jennifer Evans says she ordered a review of the decision and the officer's actions after Singh was detained at RIDE check on Dec. 10, 2014.
Evans says Peel police have had a directive in place since 2012 regarding the proper search and handling of religious items and a training bulletin has been issued internally to remind officers of this and other directives.