Normalizing Exceptional Practices: Security Certificates, Disclosure and Use of Evidence, and Administrative Detention

AuthorMarlys Edwardh & Adriel Weaver
Pages254-292

NormalizingExceptionalPractices
SECURITYCERTIFICATES
DISCLOSUREANDUSEOFEVIDENCE
ANDADMINISTRATIVEDETENTION
Marlys Edwardh & Adriel Weaver*
A. INTRODUCTION
Thischapterexplorestherelationshipbetweenanextraordinarynational
securityandcounterterrorismmeasurenamelytheuseofsecuritycer
ticatesandestablishedcriminallawprinciplesandcarceralpractices
In Part Bwe exam ine issues surroundi ng the disclosure and use
ofev idencearg uing that the courts pa rtial reject iona nd subsequent
interpretationofcertainaspectsofthesecuritycerticateschemehave
signicantly normalized secu rity certicate proceedings  that is
madethemincreasinglysubjecttolegalandconstitutionalnormsOur
contentionhereisnotthatsecuritycerticateshavebeenrendereden
tirelyunexceptionalorindeedentirelyunexceptionablebutsimplythat
they have been normalized to a sucient degree t hat they no longer
representamorearactiveorexpedientmethodofproceedingagainst
individualsbelievedtobetiedtoterroristorganizationsoractivities
InPartCweturntotheissueofdetentionfocusingontheimple
mentation of the detention provisions of the Immigration and Refugee
Protection Act asadoptedinWesuggestthatwhatappearstobe
anexceptionalregimeofadministrativedetentioninpracticerelieson
and reects established correct ional practices particularly the use of
administrative segregation Although itself a h ighly exceptional prac
 GoldblaPartnersLLP
Normalizing Exceptional Practices
ticeofpreventiveandindenitedetentionadministrativesegregation
hasbeennormalizedinaverydierentsensethatismadeordin
aryandcommonplaceinbothfederalandprovincialcorrectionsWe
examinevariouseortstomakeadministrativesegregationsubjectto
independentrigorousandprocedurallyfairreviewincludingmostre
centlytwoconstitutionalchallengestothelawandpracticeofadminis
trativesegregationinfederalcorrectionalinstitutions
Weconcludethatthehistoryofsecuritycerticatesandadminis
trative segregation strongly underscores the importance of the cou rts
indiscipliningexceptionallawsandpracticesandmakingthemmore
subjecttolegalandconstitutionalnorms
B.SECURITY CERTIFICATES AND THE
DISCLOSUREANDUSEOFEVIDENCE
 OverviewandHistory
Asecuritycerticateiseectivelyadeclarationbytheministerofpublic
safetyandemergencypreparednesstheministerandtheminister
ofcitizenshipandimmigrationthatapermanentresidentorforeignna
tionalisinadmissibleonsecuritygroundsfor
a engaginginanactofespionageoranactofsubversionagainsta
democraticgovernmentinstitutionorprocessastheyareunder
stoodinCanada
bengaginginorinstigatingthesubversionbyforceofanygovernment
c engaginginterrorism
d beingadangertothesecurityofCanada
e engaging i n acts of violence that would or might endanger the
livesorsafetyofpersonsinCanadaor
f bei ng a member of an organization that there are r easonable
groundstobelieveengageshasengagedorwillengageinacts
referredtoinparagraphaborc
InpracticethesecuritycerticateprocessbeginswhentheCanadian
SecurityIntelligenceServiceCSISortheServicepresentsthemin
isters with a Securit y Intelligence Report seing out the allegations
againsttheindividualandtheinformationandevidencereliedonbythe
ServiceinassessingthatindividualtobeinadmissibletoCanadaIfthe
 Immigration and Refugee Protection ActSCcasamendedsIRPA
MEAW
ministersconcludethattheinformationprovidedestablishesreasonable
groundstobelievetheallegationstheyissueasecuritycerticate
Onceacerticateisissueditisreferredtoadesignatedjudgeofthe
FederalCourttodeterminewhetheritisreasonableNotablythebases
forasecuritycerticatearedisjunctiveandthefactsthatconstitutein
admissibilityincludefactsarisingfromomissionsandfactsforwhich
therearereasonablegroundstobelievethattheyhaveoccurredare
occurringormayoccurIneectthereforethetaskofthereviewing
judgeistodeterminewhethertherearereasonablegroundstobelieve
thatthepersonnamedinthecerticatethenamedpersonhasen
gagedisengagingorwillengageinoneoftheproscribedactsorwas
isorwillbeadangertothesecurityofCanadaoramemberofanor
ganizationtherearereasonablegroundstobelievehasengagedisen
gagingorwillengageinespionagesubversionorterrorism
Thejudgemayreceiveintoevidenceandbasethatdeterminationon
anythingthatinhisorheropinionisreliableandappropriateevenifit
wouldbeinadmissibleinacourtoflawThejudgeisrequiredtoensure
thecondentialityoftheinformationonwhichthecerticateisbased
denedassecurityorcriminalintelligenceinformationandinfor
mation that is obtained in con dencefrom a sou rce in Canada from
thegovernmentofaforeignstatefromaninternationalorganizationof
statesorfromaninstitutionofeitherofthemaswellasanyother
evidencethatmaybeprovidedifinhisorheropinionitsdisclosure
wouldbe i njurious to national secur ityThe judge may on his or her
ownmotionandshallattherequestoftheministerhearallorpartof
theinformationorevidenceintheabsenceofthepersonnamedinthe
certicateandtheircounselifintheopinionofthejudgeitsdisclosure
wouldbeinjurioustonationalsecurityortothesafetyofanyperson
Thejudgeisalsorequiredtoensurethatthenamedpersonisprovided
throughouttheproceedingwithasummaryofinformationandother
evidencethatenableshimorhertobereasonablyinformedofthecase
 OneofthesameselectgroupofjudgesstatutorilyempoweredtohearCSISwar
rantapplicationsCanadian Security Intelligence Service ActRSCcCss
CSIS Actmakepublicinterestimmunitydeterminationsinvariousproceedings
includingcriminaltrialsCanada Evidence ActRSCcCsseealsoR v
AhmadSCCandreviewdecisionsoftheministerofpublicsafetyandemer
gencypreparednessonapplicationsfordelistingofentitiesidentiedasterrorist
groupsCriminal CodeRSCcCasamendedss
 IRPAabovenotes
 Ibidsh
 Ibids
 Ibidsc

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