Categories: Capital Read, Inside the Queensway

Suddenly topical blast from the past – Special advocates? Still not nearly special enough.

by kadyomalley on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 10:15am - 3 Comments

That’s what the lawyer for Mohamed Harkat told the Federal Court yesterday.

From the Ottawa Citizen:

A special advocate for accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat says government lawyers hold a “massive advantage” in Canada’s five security certificate cases by virtue of their ability to consult with other government lawyers on common legal issues.

As one of two special advocates in the Harkat case, lawyer Paul Cavalluzzo is responsible for protecting Mr. Harkat’s interests during secret evidentiary hearings, but Mr. Cavalluzzo told Federal Court Tuesday that restrictive rules imposed on special advocates make the new security certificate regime unworkable.

This revelation will come as no surprise to ITQ readers, however – at least, ITQ readers who tuned in for our coverage of the Senate Special Committee on Anti-Terrorism earlier this year.

Despite a shortage of Tory senators so severe that, at one point, Speaker Kinsella himself was forced to fill a seat on the Conservative side of the table, it turned out to be a highly enlightening — if unsettling — discussion of the security certificate process, including the special advocate system.

Anyway, if you somehow managed to miss it the first time around, what with zoning out at the very idea of realtime coverage of a sleepy Senate committee, you can catch up here:

May 12, 2008 – Indefinite detention and not nearly special enough advocates: Liveblogging the Senate hearings on the security certificate process

June 2, 2008 – SIRC-Another kind of human rights tribunal: Liveblogging the Senate Special Committee on Anti-terrorism

Tags: blasts from the past, committee withdrawal, security certificates, senate appreciation society, senate committee on anti-terrorism, sometimes "special" doesn't mean "better"

More by kadyomalley

Wascally Wabbit

Paul Cavalluzzo has a great deal of credibility with me.
If he’s not a happy camper – there is likely good reason!
Mark

This “special” committee has been doing yeoman service for several years shining light into various dark corners of our post-9/11 security regime. In contrast with the Senate’s careful review, several Commons committees have given these same anti-terrorist measures only a cursory once-over.

Many Senators and Senate committees do valuable work that goes largely unrecognized. Serge Joyal on this committee is a good example, along with Sens. Andreychuk, Kinsella and others. It’s nice to see our PM has now recognized the Senate just needs a dash of fresh blood, not a wholesale makeover.

I’m confident the new appointees will be appointed solely on the basis of their sterling qualifications and character. Just as I’m confident Santa will climb down my chimney with a sackful of presents in a week’s time.
Darrell

Having spent countless hours hanging on the sidelines in the aforementioned committee (I even remember when Joyce Fairbairn was chair) – this definitely comes as no surprise.