Tuesday, July 18, 2006

New CSE Commissioner

Retired Supreme Court Justice Charles Doherty Gonthier has been appointed CSE Commissioner effective August 1st. Gonthier replaces Antonio Lamer, also a former Supreme Court Justice, whose termed ended earlier this year. Biographical information on Gonthier can be found here and here.

The transition is happening in the midst of an apparently still unresolved sotto voce dispute between Lamer and CSE's Department of Justice lawyers on the proper interpretation of the law pertaining to CSE surveillance of Canadian communications.

Where will the new CSE Commissioner stand on the matter? (And what might he be prepared to do about it?)