Application in Ottawa provincial court calls for open court hearing to consider evidence of obstruction of justice and breach of trust
RCMP did weak, much-delayed investigation, and made secret, behind-closed doors, very questionable decision not to prosecute, and hid investigation records for years, and is still hiding key evidence
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
OTTAWA – Democracy Watch announced that it is filing an application in the Ontario Court of Justice in Ottawa today for approval from the court to proceed with a private prosecution of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for pressuring, and directing others to pressure, then-Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to stop the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin in 2018 (now operating under the name “AtkinsRéalis”).
Wayne Crookes, founder of Integrity B.C., is a key supporter of the application.
The application includes a legal opinion by a retired superior court justice (who did the opinion on the condition of remaining anonymous) supporting prosecuting the PM for the allegation of obstruction of justice, and possibly also for breach of trust. The application also includes a “will say” document that summarizes the reasons for the application, and a summary of how the RCMP failed to investigate and uphold the law properly.
As detailed in Democracy Watch’s news release from yesterday, the RCMP’s internal records, obtained by DWatch and also included in today’s application, show that the RCMP’s investigation was weak, incomplete, delayed and buried for years, and amounts to an attempted cover up. The RCMP only interviewed four of 15 key witnesses, and is hiding key testimony from Wilson-Raybould, her Chief of Staff Jessica Prince, and her friend and confidante Jane Philpott. The RCMP also accepted the Trudeau Cabinet hiding key internal communication records, and trusted without question the biased, self-interested public statements of the PM and everyone else who pressured the AG.
In addition, and importantly, as the “will say” document details, the RCMP applied an improper legal standard for proving obstruction of justice, and didn’t even consider prosecuting anyone for the general violation of breach of trust.
“The RCMP did a very superficial investigation into the Trudeau Cabinet’s obstruction of the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, didn’t even interview many witnesses or try to obtain key secret Cabinet communication records, and buried the investigation with an almost two-year delay, and then made a behind-closed-doors, very questionable decision not to prosecute anyone,” said Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch. “Democracy Watch’s position is that the evidence and testimony of all witnesses should be considered by a judge in an open court hearing, and that is why it is applying for court approval to proceed with a private prosecution.”
“Private prosecutions allow an individual citizen to initiate criminal proceedings against another person when they believe a crime has been committed and the police have either chosen not to investigate or press charges. Democracy Watch has gathered evidence, through repeated access to information requests, to develop an informed genuinely held belief that there is reasonable grounds to charge Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with the offences of breach of trust and obstruction of justice contrary to ss. 122 and 139(2) of the Criminal Code of Canada,” said Jen Danch of Swadron Associates law firm, which is representing Democracy Watch for the application.
“A public inquiry is needed to determine why the RCMP’s national command tried to cover up its investigation, and exactly how and why they decided not to prosecute anyone,” said Conacher.
“The RCMP lacks independence from the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers who handpick the RCMP Commissioner and deputy commissioners and division heads through a secretive process, and they all serve at the pleasure of the Cabinet so they are vulnerable to political interference,” said Conacher. “The RCMP consistently fails to enforce Canada’s anti-corruption laws in a timely, effective way, which shows the need for key changes that many experts have called for to make the RCMP more independent, effective and publicly accountable, especially when it is investigating corruption cases, or even better to establish a new fully independent anti-corruption police force including independent prosecutors.”
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch
Tel: (613) 241-5179
Cell: 416-546-3443
Email: [email protected]
Democracy Watch’s Government Ethics Campaign, Stop Unfair Law Enforcement Campaign and Open Government Campaign