Ontario Superior Court Justice Renu Mandhane disqualified a loaded illegal gun as evidence in a case against a Black driver, ruling that Peel police engaged in racial profiling when they stopped the suspect.
Mandhane described racial profiling as a “systemic and intractable” problem within Peel Regional Police.
The judge’s decision resulted in the exclusion of the firearm from evidence, ending the prosecution.
This has drawn sharp criticism from federal Conservative candidate for Oakville East and former Peel police officer Ron Chhinzer, who called the ruling “one of the most outrageous judicial outcomes in recent memory.”
“This is the kind of mentality the Liberal government is actively installing at the highest tables of justice, where ideology overrides evidence, and personal politics override public safety,” Chhinzer wrote in a statement posted to X.
According to Chhinzer, the stop occurred when a Peel police officer, who is South Asian, conducted a lawful traffic stop after his onboard system flagged a Jeep registered to an individual with a suspended driver’s license and outstanding drug charges.
“The officer didn’t target anyone,” Chhinzer said. “He responded to real-time data, exactly as he’s trained to do.”
The driver was arrested for driving while suspended. During a routine inventory search that occurs before towing a vehicle, officers found a loaded firearm concealed under debris in the back of the Jeep.
The court, however, found the officer’s actions were tainted by racial bias, citing a comparison to an earlier stop the same day where the officer did not handcuff a white female driver.
Justice Mandhane ruled that this disparity supported a finding of systemic racial profiling.
Chhinzer argued the court’s logic sets a dangerous precedent.
“That should have been the end of it. Suspended license. Outstanding charges. Illegal firearm. Lawful stop. Lawful arrest,” Chhinzer said. “Instead, the man caught with a loaded gun walked free.”
Mandhane was appointed to the Ontario Superior Court in 2020 by former Liberal Justice Minister David Lametti, who was also responsible for Bill C-75 bail reform, dubbed by critics as the “catch and release law,” which allows violent criminals to go free by seeking bail.
The Department of Justice admitted earlier this year that it does not track bail data.
Before her appointment, she served as the Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, where she led inquiries into systemic discrimination.
Chhinzer said the ruling ignores the reality of Peel Regional Police, calling it one of the most diverse law enforcement agencies in the country.
“As a former Peel officer, I can personally attest to the service’s zero-tolerance approach to racism and discrimination,” he said. “Peel Police is a national leader in community outreach and engagement, particularly with marginalized and newcomer communities.”