June 7, 2005 - Clarification concerning the appointment of Reid Morden - click here
June 6, 2005 - Commissioner Dennis O’Connor Appoints Reid Morden as Special Advisor on National Security Confidentiality Issues - click here
May 12, 2005 - Commissioner O’Connor orders Officer in Charge of Project AO Canada and Deputy Commissioner of the RCMP to Testify in Public at the Arar Inquiry - click here
May 10, 2005 - Commissioner Dennis O’Connor to appoint a fact finder to look into Maher Arar’s treatment in Jordan and Syria - click here
May 5, 2005 - The Arar Inquiry releases PCO documents relative to Maher Arar - click here
April 28, 2005 - Arar Commission to hold public hearings starting May 9 - click here
April 21, 2005 - The Arar Inquiry makes public DFAIT documents covering the detention of Maher Arar in the United States, Jordan and Syria - click here
April 7, 2005 - Arar Commission adopts new procedure to ease inquiry process - click here
April 1, 2005 - Commission Is Pleased That Government Withdraws
Arar Court
Application - click here
March 3, 2005 - Commission of Inquiry receives a wide range of written submissions relative to its Policy Review mandate - click here
December 20, 2004 - Commission of Inquiry blocked from full release of documents; government raises new national security objections - click here
December 8, 2004 - Appointment of Gordon Cameron as Special Assistant to Amicus Curiae - click here
December 8, 2004 - Commissioner authorizes public release of the first summary of information received in camera - click here
November 26, 2004 - Justice Dennis O’Connor orders the release of certain redacted RCMP documents - click here
November 16, 2004 - The Commission will hold a special in camera hearing on November 18 - click here
October 5, 2004 - Commission of Inquiry releases wide-ranging Consultation Paper - click here
September 24, 2004 - Please Read Clarification - The Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar wishes to make a clarification to the press release it issued earlier today.
It should be noted that that in the Garvie report tabled during the in camera hearings of the Commission and made public today, it is clearly stated
That : ”Members of the RCMP, or members of other law enforcement agencies working with the RCMP, while performing national security policing functions, did not provide information about Maher Arar to the Syrian authorities.”
September 24, 2004 - Commission of Inquiry releases RCMP report on Arar case - click here
September 21, 2004 - U.S. declines to directly cooperate with Arar Commission of Inquiry - click here
September 13, 2004 - The Arar Commission releases a new version of the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC) report on the Arar case - click here
September 8, 2004 -The Arar Commission starts a series of in camera hearings - click here
July 29, 2004 - Commissioner Dennis R. O'Connor issues ruling on National Security Confidentiality (NSC) - In light of this ruling, in camera hearings will start in the week of September 13 - click here
July 14, 2004 - Arar Commission reschedules hearings - click here
May 19, 2004 - Former Head of Security Intelligence Review Committee appointed "amicus curiae" in the Arar Inquiry - click here
May 12, 2004 - Appointment of counsel to the Arar Inquiry - click here
May 10, 2004 - Ruling on standing and funding at the Arar Inquiry - click here
April 21, 2004 - Appointment of members of the Advisory Panel for the Policy Review part of the Arar Inquiry - click here
April 2, 2004 - Mr. Guy J. Pratte withdraws as counsel to the Arar Inquiry - click here
March 29, 2004 - Dates set for Hearings for Application for Standing and for General Public Hearings in the Arar Inquiry - click here
OTTAWA, February 5, 2004 -
The Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, today announced that the Government of Canada has issued Terms of Reference for the Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar.
On January 28, 2004, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that Mr. Justice Dennis R. O’Connor would undertake a public inquiry into the actions of Canadian officials dealing with the deportation and detention of Mr. Maher Arar and then, as a second task, make recommendations concerning an independent, arm’s-length review mechanism for the RCMP’s activities with respect to national security.
Mr. Justice O’Connor is to investigate and report on the actions of Canadian officials in relation to Maher Arar, including the following:
• the detention of Mr. Arar in the United States;
• the deportation of Mr. Arar to Syria via Jordan;
• the imprisonment and treatment of Mr. Arar in Syria;
• the return of Mr. Arar to Canada; and
• any other circumstance directly related to Mr. Arar that Justice O’Connor considers relevant to fulfilling this mandate.
Under the policy review of possible review mechanisms for RCMP national security activities, Mr. Justice O’Connor will examine domestic and international review models. He will make such recommendations as he considers advisable on the creation of a new mechanism and in doing this, he will consider how the recommended mechanism would interact with other Canadian review bodies.
February 5, 2004
Justice Dennis O’Connor is satisfied with the Terms of Reference for the Arar inquiry issued by the Government today. He is satisfied that those terms will enable him to conduct a full and thorough inquiry into the actions of Canadian Officials relating to Maher Arar.
In light of the importance of the issues raised, Justice O’Connor is committed to conducting this inquiry in as timely a manner as possible.
Justice O’Connor announced the appointment of two Commission Counsel. Paul Cavalluzzo served as Commission Counsel to the Walkerton Inquiry. He is regarded as a leading constitutional, administrative and labour law lawyer. He is a partner in the Toronto firm of Cavalluzzo, Hayes, McIntyre and Cornish.
Guy Pratte is a member of the bars of Ontario and Quebec, Mr. Pratte has extensive experience as a leading public law and commercial litigation counsel. He is a partner in the Ottawa and Montreal Offices of the firm of Borden, Ladner, Gervais L.L.P.
