The Unauthorized Use of a Computer : A Criminal Offence



THEUNAUTHORIZEDUSEOFACOMPUTER:ACRIMINALOFFENCE

By
PanagiotaKoutsogiannis*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,Lawyers
ROBIC,Patent&TrademarkAgents
CentreCDPCapital
1001Square-Victoria-BlocE–8
thFloor
Montreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7
Tel.:(514)9876242-Fax:(514)8457874
www.robic.ca-info@robic.com
TheCanadianCriminalCodecreatesanindictableoffenceincaseswherethe
unauthorizeduseofacomputerhasbeenestablished(s.342.1).Infact,four
separateoffencesemergefromthissamesectionandcanbeidentifiedas
follows:(1)theobtainingoffence,(2)theinterceptionoffence,(3)theuser
offence,andfinally(4)theenablingoffence.Inordertotriggertheapplication
ofthissection,theunauthorizedactsmusthavebeencommittedfraudulently
andwithoutcolourofright.Itisimportanttonotethatthesetwoelementsare
cumulativeandthereforemustbothbepresentinorderforacourttofindthe
accusedguiltyofanyofthefouroffencesmentionedabove.
Inarecentdecision,R.c.ParéJE-97-1179,theCourtofQuebecwascompelled
toanalyzetheparametersoftheobtainingoffenceanddeterminewhethera
policeofficerhadactedfraudulentlyinobtainingcomputerserviceswithout
colourofright.Theaccusedadmittedtohisabsenceofrightinobtainingthe
serviceshoweverhedeniedactingfraudulently.TheCourtwasoftheopinion
thatanactisnotqualifiedasfraudulentsimplybecauseitisnotauthorized.The
Defendant
sconductmustalsohavebeendishonestandmorallywrong.The
Defendanttriedtominimizethegravityofhisactionsbyconcedingthathis
superiorsknewandtoleratedthesituation.HowevertheCourtfoundhisconduct
tobeequivalenttowilfulblindnessanddisregardandhisattempttojustifyhis
usedidnotremovehisfraudulentintentions.
Thefirstofthefouroffencesmentionedaboveistheobtainingoffenceand
ariseswhenanypersonfraudulentlyobtainsacomputerserviceeitherdirectlyor
indirectly.Forthepurposesofthissection,a
computerservice
includesthe
processingofdataaswellasthestorageorretrievalofdata.Obtaininga
computerserviceisfarfrombeingacriminaloffence,howevercoupledwiththe
twoelementsoffraudandabsenceofright,theCourtwouldhavesufficient



















































©LEGERROBICRICHARD,1998-1999.
*LawyerwiththelawfirmLEGERROBICRICHARD,g.p.andwiththepatentandtrademark
agencyfirmROBIC,g.p.Publication222.004.



evidencetoconvictifitwasconvincedoftheevidenceagainsttheDefendant
beyondareasonabledoubt.Todaywiththeevergrowingpresenceofthe
Internetworldwide,amoreaccurateandcompletedefinitionofacomputer
serviceshouldperhapsincludetheexternaltransmissionorreceptionof
informationasameansoftelecommunication.
Thesecondoffencecreatedbys.342.1oftheCanadianCriminalCodeisthe
interceptionoffenceandwillbesetoffbyanypersonwhointerceptsorcauses
tobeintercepted,directllyorindirectly,anyfunctionofacomputersystem.The
listofdevicescapableofcausingtheinterceptionisnotexhaustiveandmay
includeanycontrivancewhichmaybeusedtointerceptanyfunctionofa
computersystem.However,ahearingaidusedtocorrectsubnormalhearingof
theusertonotbetterthannormalhearingisspecificallyexcludedfromthe
variouspossiblemethodsofinterceptionprovidedforbythissectionofthe
CriminalCode.A
computersystem
asusedinthissectioncanbedefinedas
adeviceoragroupofinterconnectedorrelateddevicesthat(1)contain
computerprogramsorotherdataor(2)performlogicandcontrol,andmay
performanyotherfunctionpursuanttocomputerprograms.
Theuseroffenceiscommittedwhensomeoneusesorcausestobeused,directly
orindirectly,acomputersystemwiththeintenttocommitanoffencesuchas
theobtainingorinterceptionoffences,asdescribedabove,ormischiefin
relationtodataoracomputersystem(s.430).Theburdenofprooflieswiththe
plaintifftoshowthatalltheelementsrequiredforthecommissionofthe
prohibitedactwerepresent.ThePlaintiffmustfirstprovethephysicalactofusing
acomputersystem,whetherdirectlyorindirectly.Furthermore,thePlaintiffmust
alsoshowthattheactwascommittedfraudulentlyandwithoutcolourofright.
Evidenceoftheseelementsisstillinsufficienttoimposecriminalliabilityonthe
accused.Forthisoffence,anadditionalmentalelementmustalsobeproven;
thePlaintiffmustprovetheDefendant
sintenttocommiteithertheobtainingor
interceptionoffenceormischiefinrelationtodataoracomputersystem.
Theoffenceofmischiefinrelationtodata,althoughnotoneofthefouroffences
dealtwithinthepresentarticle,isdirectllylinkedtotheprovisiononthe
unauthorizeduseofacomputer.Forthepurposesofbothsections342.1and430
(1.1)oftheCriminalCode,dataisdefinedasarepresentationofinformationor
ofconceptsthatarebeingorhavebeenpreparedinaformsuitableforuseina
computersystem.Whenapersonwilfullydestroys,alters,rendersineffectiveor
interfereswiththelawfuluseofdata,heiscommittingtheoffenceofmischief,
however,whenacomputerisusedfraudulentlywiththeintentofcommitting
thesemischievousacts,theuseroffenceisalsosaidtohavebeencommitted.
Thefourthandfinaloffencecreatedbys.342.1istheenablingoffence.This
offencewillhavebeencommittedifapersonused,possessed,traffickedinor



permittedanotherpersontohaveaccesstoacomputerpasswordthatwould
enableapersontocommitoneofthethreeoffencesdescribedabove.A
computerpasswordallowsacomputersystemorservicetobeobtainedorused
bykeyingincertaindata.
AlthoughtheCourtshavehadtodealverylittlewiththeoffencesforeseenin
section342.1,itmightbewarrantedtoassumethatwiththerapidityatwhichthe
Internethasbeenexpandingineverypartoftheworld,inbusinessesaswellas
inhomes,itwillcreatemorepossibilitiesforwrongdoingwithrespectto
computersandwillperhapsbroadenthescopeofsituationstowhichthissection
canbeapplied.



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