Tag: Jonathan Vance

Supreme Court Asked to Rule on Protracted Battle Over Military Judges’ Independence

OTTAWA—The Supreme Court is being asked to determine whether Canada’s military judges are truly independent. The request represents the latest—and possibly last—twist in a landmark legal battle whose genesis dates back to 2018, when Canada’s top military judge was himself court martialed. While the case against Col. Mario Dutil was eventually dropped last year, it…


Former Defence Chief Jonathan Vance’s Case Adjourned to October

OTTAWA—Former defence chief Jonathan Vance’s obstruction of justice case has been adjourned till Oct. 15 following a brief virtual courtroom proceeding today. Military police charged the former Canadian Armed Forces commander, who was not present but represented by a lawyer at the hearing, with one count of obstruction of justice in July. The Canadian Forces…


Opposition Blasts Liberals After Debate to Call PM’s Top Aide on Vance Cancelled

OTTAWA—Opposition parties are up in arms after a parliamentary committee meeting in which members were expected to debate calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s chief of staff to testify was cancelled without notice. Members of the Commons defence committee had been preparing to continue debating this morning whether to call Katie Telford to answer questions on…


Privy Council Official Explains Handling of Vance Misconduct Allegations

OTTAWA—A civil servant who met with the former military ombudsman about sexual misconduct allegations against then-defence chief Gen. Jonathan Vance is reiterating she had too little information to take further action. Janine Sherman, a senior official in the Privy Council Office, says a sit-down with ex-ombudsman Gary Walbourne in 2018 yielded little information, as Walbourne…


Military Police Investigating Misconduct Allegations Against Vance, Defence Department Confirms

The military police have started their investigation into allegations of misconduct against former chief of the defence staff Jonathan Vance, the Defence Department has confirmed. Vance is alleged to have engaged in inappropriate behaviour with two female subordinates. One is a relationship he had with a woman he significantly outranked. The other is a sexual…


Military Justice System at Crossroads as Court Hears Case on Judges’ Independence

OTTAWA—Canada’s military justice system will be on trial again Friday, when an appeal court weighs whether the handful of judges responsible for overseeing courts martial are truly independent. The Court Martial Appeal Court hearing revolves around then-defence chief Jonathan Vance’s decision last year to place responsibility for the disciplining of Canada’s four military judges with…