Cyndee Todgham Cherniak, of Lang Michener LLP, writes for the Trade Lawyers Blog [1] that a courier package addressed to her as counsel at her law firm was opened by Canada Border Services Agency. The package was sent by Dr. Henry T. King of the Canada-United States Law Institute. CBSA had marked the package “EXAMINED / RELEASED – CUSTOMS – TORONTO – DOUANES, EXAMINÉ / LIBERÉ”. As she points out in her post, this invasion of privacy has ramifications for solicitor-client communications.
Is it simply naïve to believe that cross-border communications are in fact private and that the various national security agencies do not read our letters and our emails on an as-needed basis? And as for packages, when ought objects sent to lawyers be immune from customs scrutiny?
[via Michael Geist [2]]