SEARCH RULING CORRECTS ERROR

On the surface, the Supreme Court of Canada ruling that outlaws
random searches of student lockers by drug-sniffing dogs looks like
a major setback for attempts by police and school officials to keep
illegal drugs out of schools.

The fact is, the ruling hardly puts a dent in the practice while
correcting an "oversight" in dealing with non-adults.

In the ruling, the judges correctly pointed out that teen-age
students have the same rights as adults.

Police aren't allowed to carry out searches of lockers at a fitness
centre without a reasonable grounds and a warrant, so why should
teen-age students be treated any differently when it comes to their
school lockers?

The threat of random searches of lockers was seen as one way of
preventing drugs from being stashed inside the school.

How effective the practice was is debatable.

It is important to note that police and drug-sniffing dogs haven't
been banned from schools. When armed with reasonable suspicion,
school officials can still ask police to bring a drug-sniffing dog
into the school to carry out a search.

If anything, the ruling closes a loophole that could be used to
squash charges resulting from a random search.