JURIST - Paper Chase: Arar inquiry judge asks Canadian government to loosen confidentiality restrictions

Justice Dennis O'Connor, who is overseeing the Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar, asked the Canadian government Thursday to waive aspects of the Canada Evidence Act that bar him from disclosing rulings because of the need to keep documents secret in order to protect national security. O'Connor said that the provisions detract from the transparency of the inquiry, which was set up to trace events leading to Arar's deportation to Syria where he was imprisoned for 10 months. US officials deported Arar to Syria even though he was traveling on a Canadian passport. Read O'Connor's ruling [PDF] and the Commission's press release. The Canadian Press has the full story. CBC News has background on the Arar case.