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Case information

Conduct a refined search of the Supreme Court of Canada database to obtain details on the status of a matter before the Court.


41914

Vernon Terwilligar v. His Majesty the King

(Ontario) (Criminal) (By Leave)

Docket

Judgments on applications for leave to appeal are rendered by the Court, but are not necessarily unanimous.

List of proceedings
Date Proceeding Filed By
(if applicable)
2025-12-12 Close file on Leave
2025-12-11 Copy of formal judgment sent to Registrar of the Court of Appeal and all parties
2025-12-11 Judgment on leave sent to the parties
2025-12-11 Judgment of the Court on the application for leave to appeal, The application for leave to appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, Number COA-24-CR-0459, 2025 ONCA 347, dated May 7, 2025, is dismissed.
Dismissed
2025-11-03 All materials on application for leave submitted to the Judges, for consideration by the Court
2025-09-04 Certificate (on limitations to public access), 23B, (Printed version filed on 2025-09-10) His Majesty the King
2025-09-04 Certificate (on limitations to public access), 23A, (Printed version filed on 2025-09-10) His Majesty the King
2025-09-04 Respondent's response on the application for leave to appeal, (Book Form), Completed on: 2025-09-10, (Printed version filed on 2025-09-10) His Majesty the King
2025-08-05 Letter acknowledging receipt of an incomplete application for leave to appeal, File open
2025-08-05 Certificate (on limitations to public access), 23A
-Need amended version (Q. 5) (rec'd 2025-08-06), (Printed version filed on 2025-08-05)
Vernon Terwilligar
2025-08-05 Notice of name, (Printed version filed on 2025-08-05) Vernon Terwilligar
2025-08-05 Application for leave to appeal, (Book Form), Missing:
-Amended 23A (rec'd 2025-08-06)
-Proof of service (rec'd 2025-08-06)
-Signed TC judgement and Order dated Dec. 15, 2022 (rec'd signature on Information), Completed on: 2025-08-06, (Printed version filed on 2025-08-05)
Vernon Terwilligar

Parties

Please note that in the case of closed files, the “Status” column reflects the status of the parties at the time of the proceedings. For more information about the proceedings and about the dates when the file was open, please consult the docket of the case in question.

Main parties

Main parties - Appellants
Name Role Status
Terwilligar, Vernon Applicant Active

v.

Main parties - Respondents
Name Role Status
His Majesty the King Respondent Active

Counsel

Party: Terwilligar, Vernon

Counsel
Name
Jolene Hansell
Contact information
Russomanno Hyslop LLP
141 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 400
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 5J3
Telephone: (613) 232-8389
Email: jolene@rh-lawyers.ca

Party: His Majesty the King

Counsel
Name
Molly Flanagan
Contact information
Attorney General of Ontario
720 Bay Street, 10th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 2S9
Telephone: (437) 833-8547
FAX: (416) 326-4656
Email: molly.flanagan@ontario.ca

Summary

Keywords

Charter of Rights and Freedoms — Search and Seizure — Whether the requirement under s. 8 of the Charter that the law authorising a search must be reasonable requires minimum prescribed limits on the police power to execute a computer search warrant given developments in technology and its implications on privacy — Whether s. 8 requires two-stage warrants for any computer devices unknown to police at the time of the search?

Summary

Case summaries are prepared by the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada (Law Branch). Please note that summaries are not provided to the Judges of the Court. They are placed on the Court file and website for information purposes only.

Mr. Terwilligar communicated with an undercover officer posing first as the father of a 13-year old girl and then as the 13-year old girl. He discussed sexual activity. The police obtained and executed a warrant to search his residential address. They seized electronic devices and obtained evidence from searches of those devices. Mr. Terwilligar brought an application to exclude the evidence for breach of s. 8 of the Charter and a subsequent motion challenging the validity of the warrant. The trial judge dismissed both motions. Mr. Terwilligar was convicted for child luring, making child pornography, and agreeing to commit sexual interference and sexual assault with a person believed to be under 16 years of age. The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal.

Lower court rulings

September 15, 2022
Ontario Court of Justice


Application to exclude evidence dismissed

December 15, 2022
Ontario Court of Justice

COA-23-CR-0954

Convictions for agreeing to commit sexual interference and sexual assault with a person believed to be under 16 years of age, making child pornography, and child luring

May 7, 2025
Court of Appeal for Ontario

2025 ONCA 347

Appeal dismissed

Filed documents

The memorandums of argument on an application for leave to appeal will be posted here 30 days after leave to appeal has been granted unless they contain personal information, information that is subject to a publication ban, or any other information that is not part of the public record. You may also obtain copies of the memorandum by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613‑996‑7933 or at 1‑888‑551‑1185.

If you have questions about a memorandum of argument or want to use a memorandum of argument, please contact the author of the memorandum of argument directly. Their name appears at the end of the memorandum of argument. The contact information for counsel is found in the “Counsel” tab of this page.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

The factums of the appellant, the respondent and the intervener will be posted here at least 2 weeks before the hearing unless they contain personal information, information that is subject to a publication ban, or any other information that is not part of the public record. You may also obtain copies of factums by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613‑996‑7933 or at 1‑888‑551‑1185.

If you have questions about a factum or want permission to use a factum, please contact the author of the factum directly. Their contact information appears on the first page of each factum.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

The condensed books of the appellant, the respondent and the intervener will be posted here upon receipt of the electronic version, 2 days prior to the scheduled appeal hearing. You may also obtain copies of condensed books by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613‑996‑7933 or at 1‑888‑551‑1185.

If you have questions about a condensed book or want permission to use a condensed book, please contact the author of the condensed book directly. Their contact information appears on the first page of each condensed book.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

Webcasts

Not available.

Date modified: 2025-12-13