Canadian Spy Agencies Deliberately Misled Courts 62
Walking The Walk writes "Canada's spy agency deliberately withheld information from the courts in an effort to do an end-run around the law when it applied for top-secret warrants to intercept the communications of Canadians abroad, a Federal Court judge said Friday. CSIS assured Judge Richard Mosley the intercepts would be carried out from inside Canada, and controlled by Canadian government personnel, court records show. However, Canadian officials then asked for intercept help from foreign intelligence allies without telling the court. 'It is clear that the exercise of the court's warrant issuing has been used as protective cover for activities that it has not authorized,' Mosley wrote in redacted reasons."
Who watches the watchmen? (Score:5, Interesting)
So, I see the Canadians are taking notes from the Americans and the British.
I'm not surprised (Score:5, Interesting)
I've been ranting about "bi-lateral security agreements" as a means to do an end-run around the bans on spying on citizens/locally that each nation has. This is just proof that such is exactly what the countries are all doing.
Re:Who watches the watchmen? (Score:5, Interesting)
Notes? We have even fewer laws controlling CSIS than the US has controlling the NSA. Not that either agency believes they are much more than suggestions or guidelines and not actual hard and fast rules.
Re:But, but, but... (Score:5, Interesting)
Innocent we are not, but we do still respect the rule of law. The courts are also somewhat vindictive when they are screwed around with - I'd expect the bar just got raised for any future warrants CSIS wants.
Politicians won't help. Judges however.. (Score:4, Interesting)
Politicians are egomaniacs and love the prestige of being invited into 'the great game'. So, we can't put our faith in them to encourage a reasonable balance between the necessary and important work that intelligence agencies must do and civil liberties that are necessary for the wee project we call western civilization.
Judges reallly. really really hate being lied to. They're confronted with people who will do nearly anything to stay out of jail or avoid paying fines so they have to assume that someone is bending the truth a bit in court. But bending the truth a lot is the sort of thing they have all sorts of powers to dissuade. Now, the Crown may never lay charges but that's a separate issue. Rulings of all kinds can rattle up the ladder and cause no end of unintentional activities.
Re:Come on Canada (Score:5, Interesting)
Not in Canada but three or four terms is about the limit before people get tired of any politician. Moreover, I don't think much of 'Harper-ism' will survive Harper. Too much of his 'reforms' are based upon running the entire government off his desk.For example, not letting government scientists talk to the press unless the PMO understands what is being said, i.e.. nothing. Statistics Canada now actually appends footnotes saying that their work cannot be trusted because the statistical samples are now too small or otherwise do not meet best practices.
Moreover, Conservative judges have a way of ruling more for individual liberty than institutional liberties once they are ruling at lofty Olympian levels of the Supreme Court. Politicians keep being surprised by this.