Do police departments in Canada use polygraph machines as they do in the USA?
Yes, if I understand your question. In Canada, polygraphic evidence can never be used in court. They may be used in criminal investigations by the police and in employment screening. The use by the police is voluntary only. No one can be forced to take a polygraph by the police. I guess you could say it’s voluntary in employment, but an employer could refuse to hire you if you didn’t take a polygraph. The polygraph is pretty unreliable and easily manipulated by a professional criminal. It is far more useful in proving innocence than guilt if the criminal incident is “isolated”, i.e. the accused doesn’t have psychopathic or sociopathic tendencies. In other words, if the individual has no remorse or anxiety about lying, the polygraph doesn’t work. You can also learn to manipulate it by controlling your emotion through meditation and/or breathing techniques.
