Security certificate cases `unfair' Ottawa urged to take cue from inquiry

OTTAWA - After months of challenging the federal government's national security claims that forced evidence at a public inquiry to be heard in private, the Arar inquiry's lead lawyer is now lashing out against secret court trials in Canada. Toronto lawyer Paul Cavalluzzo lambasted the federal government yesterday for allowing uncontested evidence to be presented privately to a judge in national security certificate cases. He suggested that the federal inquiry investigating the case of Maher Arar, which wrapped up hearings this week, should be used as a model for security cases involving sensitive intelligence. While much of the evidence at the inquiry was presented in private, both commission counsel and an independently appointed amicus curiae, or friend of the court, attended the in-camera sessions to challenge the accuracy and reliability of the evidence.

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