Pioneering special advocate process threatened with delay

posted on June 05, 2008 | in Category Security Certificates | PermaLink

by Cristin Schmitz Source: The Lawyers Weekly, Vol. 27, No. 48 URL: N/A Date: April 25, 2008 Several special advocates have publicly complained that rates were lowered

The Federal Court's pending judicial review of five security certificates could be set back by the federal government's delay in announcing the final roster of special advocates, and by unresolved questions surrounding the fees to be paid to the special advocates (SAs), and to the other lawyers who are privately retained by the five men. Federal Court Chief Justice Allan Lutfy and Justice Simon Noel, the joint case-managers of the cases that will pioneer the use of security-cleared special advocates (SAs) in Canada, made it clear at an April 15 case management conference here that they want to see the five cases move forward efficiently and expeditiously in separate, but parallel hearings, that involve the same procedures and consistent determinations of any novel procedural issues that are common to the cases.

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