(born February 19, 1940) is a retired[1] Toronto-based human rights lawyer, who is widely known as the defence attorney of security certificate detainee Mohamed Harkat, and a supporter of legal aid.
[4] In June 2006 he argued in the Supreme Court of Canada on behalf of Mohamed Harkat that the security certificate procedure under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act violated the fundamental justice provisions of Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
In February 2007 the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously agreed with that argument and held that the procedure violated fundamental justice.
In June 2008 he was appointed as a special advocate for Mohamed Harkat and for Hassan Almrei in the security certificate proceedings against them.
The security certificate in regard to Mr. Almrei was found to be unreasonable by Justice Mosley on December 14, 2010.