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Integrity of the Breath Test Program – Transparency and Disclosure
Canadian police services use scientific instruments to sample breath and analyze apparent breath alcohol concentration (apparent BrAC) in an attempt to measure blood alcohol concentration (true BAC). This approach generally will produce an accurate analysis, however, that is not always the result.
Some approved instruments, simulators, and simulator thermometers are better than others.[6] The calibration of each of these approved instruments and accessory equipment affects the accuracy and the verification of accuracy of a breath test. Police services are required to keep proper documentation of the calibration and calibration checks of each of these instruments.[7] Some police services will not disclose calibration and calibration check documents.[8]
Most police services regularly send their instruments to the factory authorized service centre for scheduled maintenance, keeping proper documentation.[9] Toronto Police Service performs its own scheduled maintenance. Some police services will disclose maintenance records, some will not.[10] In the Greater Toronto area there are senior breach technicians who make adjustments to the insides of their own instruments lacking the necessary tools to calibrate[11]. Disclosure of the maintenance log in a Brampton case[12] led to the revelation that a “chopper motor” and the “R18 resistor” had been replaced by a senior breath technician. Cross-examination at trial revealed that he had conducted his own repair to the optical bench of an IR instrument, adjusting internal voltages and standards, and thereby affecting calibration. He did not, however, verify his re-calibrations using 50, 200, 300, and acetone simulators as would have been done by the factory authorized service centre. The accuracy of breath sample analyses at ranges below 100 mg/100 mLs, above 100 mg/100 mLs, or containing an interferent, such as acetone, would thereby be compromised.
Negligent maintenance or calibration of an instrument will not be evident to the defence unless complete maintenance and calibration records are disclosed.
At least one police service has a policy that they will not permit defence professional photographers to photograph their instruments.[13] Some police services will not permit a defence expert to examine their instruments or a professional photographer to photograph their instruments.[14]
These considerations are important from a full answer and defence constitutional perspective because:
“Proper calibration and/or calibration check procedures are the primary means of assuring accuracy of the Approved Instrument, Approved Screening Device and accessory equipment at the time of use. In addition to these calibrations and/or calibration checks, formal maintenance procedures are essential to the integrity of the breath test program.”[15]
Different approved instruments have different hardware and software design. Unfortunately such design and design changes are not transparent and may not be disclosed. Approved instruments used in Ontario are not generally available for purchase or study by defence lawyers or defence experts. Defence experts are not welcome at the training programs offered by some manufacturers.[16] Police services have different protocols for procedure prior to the subject test and during the subject test. Unfortunately, such protocols are not always clear and sometimes are not disclosed. Not all breath rooms have video equipment to adequately record procedure before and during the subject test. Some breath room video cameras do not record the screen of the instrument.[17]
The original software version number of an approved instrument at the time of its evaluation and approval by the Alcohol Test Committee (with subsequent approval by the Minister of Justice) may not have been identified. The source code design of the software, including unique Canadian elements, at the time of evaluation may not have been documented. The evaluator, usually the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto or the R.C.M.P., may not have retained their file[18]. Source code design may change dramatically over time affecting the capabilities of the approved instrument to deal with new physiological and environmental presentations. Software changes may not be identified, well-documented, and disclosed by the manufacturer, the Alcohol Test Committee, and the Minister of Justice . Software (also known as firmware) may vary with different provinces, among police services, and from one machine to another. Software safeguards, that we hear about every day in Court (e.g. Internal Standards on the 5000), may not have existed in the software when the approved instrument was evaluated for the Alcohol Test Committee many years ago. The original software version of an evaluated instrument and software changes should be well documented and disclosed.[19]
All of the above considerations affect the ability of an innocent person to make full answer and defence and should be subject to Charter remedies.
My experience leads me to believe that it is not safe to assume that most police services and most police officers always use properly maintained, calibrated, and calibration-checked instruments in accordance with protocol.
It is respectfully submitted that the implementation of a new section 258 evidentiary shortcut that results in “conclusive proof” unless the accused establishes a scientific explanation for an apparent BrAC - true BAC difference requires proven scientific integrity and transparency of the breath testing system. Unless there is full disclosure of the hardware and software design of the approved instrument as originally evaluated, properly documented hardware and software upgrades, availability of instruments for testing by defence experts, opportunity for defence experts to attend factory training, transparency, protocol, and documentation in maintenance and repair, and transparency, protocol, and documentation respecting calibration and calibration checks, the accused cannot make full answer and defence in a Bill C-2 world.