Rare oral hearing at high court for drug case
OTTAWA - The Supreme Court of Canada says it will let lawyers for a woman in a drug case present oral arguments on why the justices should hear her appeal.
It's a rare move for the court, which normally rules on leave-to-appeal applications based on written documents.
The case involves a woman who was arrested at Vancouver airport in 2008 after drugs were found hidden in a suitcase.
Jennifer Nagle was pulled aside for a random screening by an officer who questioned her about her travel plans and searched her purse before turning to the luggage.
In 2011, a trial judge decided the officer had violated Nagle's rights and excluded the drug evidence, leading to an acquittal.
Last September, the British Columbia Court of Appeal overturned that ruling and ordered a new trial, a decision Nagle wants to appeal to the Supreme Court.
