TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th July, 2020) A federal judge called for a review of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) because the agency failed to identify information likely obtained through illegal means.
"The Canadian Security Intelligence Service breached the duty of candor it owed to the court in failing to proactively identify and disclose that it had included in support of warrant applications [redacted case] information that was likely derived from illegal activities," Federal Court Justice Patrick Gleeson said in a ruling on Thursday.
Gleeson noted that ordering a review is beyond his mandate but, nevertheless recommended that "at a comprehensive external review be initiated to fully identify systemic, governance and cultural shortcomings and failures" that resulted in the admitted illegal operational activity and the violated the legal duty to be open and honest with the courts.
CSIS Director David Vigneault said that he takes the court's ruling "very seriously" and that he will work to disseminate the court's findings at the agency.
Vigneault also said the transgressions in question were previously covered by the Crown immunity, a practice that subsequently ended in 2019.
The CSIS director noted he ordered all non-compliant operational practices to be halted until such time that the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency Act legalizing much of the legal shortfalls was enacted.
The practices in question are part of standard operating procedures employed by analogous allied agencies, Vigneault said.
Earllier on Thursday, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair and Attorney General David Lametti said in a joint statement that they take the findings very seriously and are committed to following up on the court's recommendation.
