OTTAWA — A federal judge says the Canadian Security Intelligence Service failed to disclose its reliance on information that was likely collected illegally when seeking warrants to probe extremism.
Federal Court Justice Patrick Gleeson is calling for a comprehensive external review of the circumstances after finding “a cavalier institutional approach” to the rule of law.
In his ruling, Gleeson says the review must look at interactions between CSIS and the federal Justice Department to fully identify systemic, governance and cultural shortcomings and failures.
Gleeson says anything less will fall short of ensuring that confidence and trust in the spy service as a key national institution is restored and enhanced.
The judge says it is beyond his authority to order this type of comprehensive review.
However, he says the knowledge and expertise available to the government within federal watchdog agencies and among outside experts could be called upon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2020.
The Canadian Press
