Ottawa (Canadian Press) - Canadians should be wary of giving police too free a rein in the name of fighting terrorism, says the former head of the country’s spy agency.
Reid Morden told the Air India inquiry today that he’s against any proposal to lower the legal threshold for police to obtain wiretaps or conduct searches or surveillance of citizens.
He acknowledged that CSIS already has the power to investigate people based on mere suspicion if it believes they represent a threat to national security.
But he said giving the same authority to police could upset the delicate balance between state security and individual liberties.
The inquiry is examining the turf wars between CSIS an the RCMP that hampered investigation of the 1985 Air India bombing.
Mr. Morden said it’s his impression that relations between the two agencies have improved since then, and he warned against radical reforms.
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1 TheFilter.ca » Articles » Former CSIS Boss Warns Against Police Excess In Fighting Terrorism // Dec 5, 2007 at 18:33
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