On 10 October 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada held a public hearing on the extremely important case of Mohamed Harkat, regarding the constitutionality of Canada’s security certificate system. A secret hearing at an undisclosed location (perhaps the first in the history of the Supreme Court of Canada) took place on 11 October.
Back in 2007, Canada’s highest court had ruled that the system was unconstitutional, and it was revised by Parliament the following year. One of the main changes to the law was the addition of “Special Advocates” – lawyers who have full access to the evidence brought by the government, but who are restricted in several ways, including in their communications with the person whose rights are at stake.
