Even More S. 172 Comedy Gold
Under HTA s. 172(5), only a police officer can lay a s. 172 charge.
Police to require surrender of licence, detention of vehicle
(5) Where a police officer believes on reasonable and probable grounds that a person is driving, or has driven, a motor vehicle on a highway in contravention of subsection (1), the officer shall,
(a) request that the person surrender his or her drivers licence; and
(b) detain the motor vehicle that was being driven by the person until it is impounded under clause (7) (b).
As a result of the language, this prevents and excludes a private citizen from laying a s. 172 charge.
However HTA s. 217(2) articulates that s. 172 is an arrestable offence and s. 217(3) allows a private citizen to arrest anyone on view committing a s. 172 offence.
Arrests without warrant
(2) Any police officer who, on reasonable and probable grounds, believes that a contravention of any of the provisions of subsection 9 (1), subsection 12 (1), subsection 13 (1), subsection 33 (3), subsection 47 (5), (6), (7) or (8), section 51, 53, subsection 106 (8.2), section 130, 172 or 184, subsection 185 (3), clause 200 (1) (a) or subsection 216 (1) has been committed, may arrest, without warrant, the person he or she believes committed the contravention. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 217 (2); 1993, c. 40, s. 8; 2009, c. 5, s. 55.
Arresting on view
(3) Every person may arrest without warrant any person whom he or she finds committing any such contravention.
You can only arrest someone if you're charging them with an offence, so how can the government allow a private citizen to arrest anyone found committing a s. 172 offence when s. 172 only statutorily allows a police officer to lay the charge?
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statut ... 0h08_e.htm