Docket: T-1651-14
Citation:
2015 FC 173
Ottawa, Ontario, February 13, 2015
PRESENT: The
Honourable Mr. Justice Mosley
BETWEEN:
|
CANADIAN
BROADCASTING CORPORATION, THE TORONTO STAR and THE SHADOW DOCUMENTARY PROJECT
INC. (A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF WHITE PINE PICTURES INC.)
|
Applicants
|
and
|
WARDEN OF BOWDEN INSTITUTION, PUBLIC SAFETY CANADA and CORRECTIONAL SERVICE CANADA
|
Respondents
|
JUDGMENT AND REASONS
I.
INTRODUCTION
[1]
The applicants challenge the decision of the
Warden of Bowden Institution to refuse their request to interview the inmate,
Omar Khadr.
[2]
This case is not about Omar Khadr’s rights under
the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
[3]
It does, however, engage the rights of the
applicant media organizations to freedom of expression and the public’s right
to know. There is no dispute between the parties that these rights
reflect important constitutional values.
[4]
The sole question that the Court must answer on
this application is whether, in light of the information before the Warden at
the time, her decision to deny the applicants access to Mr Khadr for the
purpose of an interview was reasonable.
[5]
For the reasons that follow, I find that it was
and that this application must be dismissed.
II.
BACKGROUND
[6]
Omar Khadr was repatriated to Canada from Guantanamo Bay on September 29, 2012 and admitted into the custody of the Correctional
Service of Canada [CSC]. On January 25, 2013, he was assessed as a maximum
security offender and placed at Millhaven Institution in Ontario.
[7]
The applicants are three media organizations:
the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Toronto Star newspaper and the
Shadow Documentary Project, a wholly owned subsidiary of White Pine Pictures
Inc. They have created a joint enterprise for the purpose of interviewing Mr
Khadr to produce a documentary film about his story, to be aired by the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and also for print and online stories.
[8]
On January 10, 2013, Michelle Shephard, a
journalist for the Toronto Star, applied to the Warden of Millhaven Institution
for permission to interview Mr Khadr. On February 22, 2013, the Warden approved
a separate request by the Canadian Press for an interview. However, within 90
minutes, Mr Vic Toews, who was the Minister of Public Safety at the time,
overturned this approval.
[9]
On March 8, 2013, Mr Khadr was placed in
administrative segregation after receiving threats from other inmates. He
remained there until May 28, 2013, when he was voluntarily transferred to
Edmonton Institution in Alberta. There, another inmate physically assaulted him
on June 14, 2013. Following this assault, Mr Khadr was placed in administrative
segregation for five days for his own safety.
[10]
On June 20, 2013, the Warden of Edmonton
Institution denied Ms Shephard’s request to interview Mr Khadr, which had been
originally made to the Warden of Millhaven Institution. Mr Khadr grieved this
decision. On July 16, 2013, the Warden denied the grievance. This decision
cited the notoriety of Mr Khadr’s offences and stated: “The
reduction of your public notoriety would be necessary as part of your
rehabilitation process and to reduce your personal security risk within the
prison population.”
[11]
On September 25, 2013, Ms Shephard sought
reconsideration of her request, arguing that Mr Khadr had been the subject of
widespread news coverage due to statements made by Canadian officials and,
therefore, that a desire to reduce his notoriety was a moot reason to deny an
interview. The Warden rejected this request on October 30, 2013.
[12]
Mr Khadr was assessed as a medium security
offender on December 11, 2013. He was transferred to Bowden Institution, which
is also in Alberta, on February 7, 2014. According to the uncontested affidavit
evidence of the respondents, Bowden Institution has a current total population
of 656 inmates: 540 classified as medium security and 106 classified as minimum
security.
[13]
On March 3, 2014, Ms Shephard made a request to
the Warden of Bowden Institution on behalf of the applicants to interview Mr
Khadr. She explained that she had been working on Mr Khadr’s case since 2002,
having written over two hundred articles for the Toronto Star and a book on the
topic. She explained the nature of her assignment on behalf of the applicants
and stated that she has experience conducting prison interviews in Canada and the United States. Also, as “a sign of good faith and to relieve
pressure”, she stated that Mr Khadr and his lawyer had agreed that he
would participate only in this one interview, so as to minimize disruption to
the facility.
[14]
On April 25, 2014, Jeff Campbell, an agent of
the Warden, sent an email to Ms Shephard denying her request. He invoked
subsection 18(c) of the Commissioner’s Directive 022: Media Relations [CD
022] and explained:
Given the disruption to the functioning of the
operational unit, the potential to jeopardize the security of the operational
unit, or the potential risk to the safety of any person; the request for this
interview is not approved in accordance with the Commissioner’s Directive 022,
paragraph 18(b).
[15]
Mr Campbell incorrectly cited subsection 18(b),
as he acknowledged in response to a further inquiry by Ms Shephard later that
day. The correct reference is to subsection 18(c).
[16]
On May 21, 2014, Ms Shephard sent a three-page
letter by email to Mr Campbell seeking reconsideration of her request. She
explained at length the measures that would be taken to minimize disruption to
the facility and emphasized the importance of the Charter right to
freedom of expression. On July 7, 2014, counsel for the applicants sent a
letter to the Warden pressing for a response to Ms
Shephard’s reconsideration request.
[17]
On
July 9, 2014, Mr Campbell sent an email to Ms Shephard, which again rejected
her request. This time he correctly cited and reproduced subsection 18(c) of CD
022 and concluded: “After assessment, CSC has
determined that your request to interview Mr Khadr cannot be granted as per CD
022 section 18 c.”
[18]
The next day (July 10, 2014), Nancy Shore, the Acting Warden of Bowden Institution, responded to counsel’s letter. After
acknowledging receipt of the request for reconsideration, Warden Shore wrote:
I have taken the opportunity to review and
consider the additional information provided by your clients. As you are aware,
the protection of society is the paramount consideration for the CSC in the
corrections process. Contacts with person from outside the penitentiary are
subject to such reasonable limits as are prescribed for protecting the security
of the penitentiary or the safety of persons. Consequently, I have come to the
conclusion that CSC cannot grant this request at the present time on the
grounds that it would unduly endanger the security of the institution and the
safety of the persons.
[19]
Warden Shore wrote that, in her view, an
on-camera interview would “result in significant
disruptions to the institution and thus endanger [its] security”. She
explained that the physical layout of Bowden, which lacks containment barriers,
meant that other inmates would have to be confined to their living units for
the duration of the interview. This would affect work, school and other program
routines. If the interview were to be conducted outside business hours, it
would disrupt inmates’ access to leisure activities. Invoking her experience,
the Warden predicted that this could reasonably “spark
unrest amongst the inmate population”. Therefore, she concluded that “the proposed accommodations presented by your client(s) on the
manner in which the on camera interview would take place would not be adequate
to control the risk”.
[20]
Warden Shore wrote that an interview with Mr Khadr, once released, would cause
the inmate population to form further opinions about him, both negative and
positive. In her view, “[it] is reasonable to assume that
the potential ramifications within the inmate population may be significant and
cause security/safety incidents”. The Warden explained that Mr Khadr has
kept a low profile within the institution, which has contributed to his
positive integration. However, an interview would lead to “additional security concerns within the institution and safety
concerns for Mr Khadr.”
[21]
In conclusion, the Warden denied the request.
According to her, allowing an interview was not feasible at the time because it
“could reasonably jeopardize the security of the institution
and the safety of persons”.
[22]
On July 22, 2014, the applicants filed a notice
of application at the Federal Court challenging the refusal decisions
communicated by Mr Campbell on April 25 and July 9, 2014, under sections 18 and
18.1 of the Federal Courts Act, RSC 1985, c F-7.
[23]
It is worthy of note that no request was made
for the delivery of all of the materials in CSC’s possession relevant to the
decision pursuant to Rule 317 of the Federal Courts Rules, SOR/98-106.
The respondents served and filed an affidavit sworn by John McKill, the acting
Assistant Warden Management Services at Bowden Institution. Mr McKill was not
cross-examined on his affidavit. Attached as an exhibit to that affidavit,
among other things, is Warden Shore’s letter of July 10, 2014.
[24]
In my view, the decision under review is
reflected in the continuing series of communications between Ms Shephard on
behalf of the applicants, their counsel, Mr Campbell and Warden Shore. Warden Shore’s letter provides the reasons for that decision.
III.
ISSUES
[25]
The applicants framed the issues in terms of a
denial of procedural fairness, a failure to provide sufficient reasons and a
violation of subsection 2(b) of the Charter. In their written
submissions, they also raised an objection to the respondents’ affidavit
evidence that was withdrawn at the hearing.
[26]
The respondents initially misconstrued the
nature of the application and characterized it as concerning whether Omar
Khadr’s freedom of expression outweighed the security of Bowden Institution and
the safety of inmates and staff within the institution. They abandoned that
position at the hearing.
[27]
As indicated above, the sole issue in my view is
whether the Warden’s decision was reasonable. The alleged inadequacy of the
Warden’s reasons is not a stand-alone basis for challenging her decision.
Rather, the Court must take reasons into account when reviewing the substance
of a decision to determine whether it is reasonable as a whole: Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses’ Union v Newfoundland and Labrador (Treasury
Board), 2011 SCC 62 at para 14 [NL Nurses].
IV.
RELEVANT LEGISLATION
[28]
Subsection 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of
Rights and Freedoms, Part I of the Constitution Act, 1982, being
Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (UK), 1982, c 11 enshrines the
right to freedom of expression.
2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: […]
|
2. Chacun a les libertés fondamentales suivantes : […]
|
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including
freedom of the press and other media of communication; […]
|
b) liberté de pensée, de croyance, d’opinion et d’expression, y
compris la liberté de la presse et des autres moyens de communication; […]
|
[29]
Subsection 71(1) of the Correctional and
Conditional Release Act, SC 1992, c 20 [CCRA] outlines the
principles governing contacts and visits with inmates.
71. (1) In order to
promote relationships between inmates and the community, an inmate is
entitled to have reasonable contact, including visits and correspondence,
with family, friends and other persons from outside the penitentiary, subject
to such reasonable limits as are prescribed for protecting the security of
the penitentiary or the safety of persons.
|
71. (1) Dans les
limites raisonnables fixées par règlement pour assurer la sécurité de
quiconque ou du pénitencier, le Service reconnaît à chaque détenu le droit,
afin de favoriser ses rapports avec la collectivité, d’entretenir, dans la
mesure du possible, des relations, notamment par des visites ou de la
correspondance, avec sa famille, ses amis ou d’autres personnes de
l’extérieur du pénitencier.
|
[30]
Section 97 of the CCRA empowers the
Commissioner of the CSC to make certain rules. Section 98 empowers the
Commissioner to designate any or all of these rules as Directives and instructs
him to make them accessible.
97. Subject to this Part and the regulations, the Commissioner may
make rules
|
97. Sous réserve de la présente partie et de ses règlements, le
commissaire peut établir des règles concernant :
|
(a) for the
management of the Service;
|
a) la gestion du
Service;
|
(b) for the
matters described in section 4; and
|
b) les questions
énumérées à l’article 4;
|
(c) generally for
carrying out the purposes and provisions of this Part and the regulations.
|
c) toute autre
mesure d’application de cette partie et des règlements.
|
98. (1) The Commissioner may designate as Commissioner’s
Directives any or all rules made under section 97.
|
98. (1) Les règles établies en application de l’article 97 peuvent
faire l’objet de directives du commissaire.
|
(2) The Commissioner’s Directives shall be accessible to
offenders, staff members and the public.
|
(2) Les directives doivent être accessibles et peuvent être
consultées par les délinquants, les agents et le public.
|
[31]
Subparagraph 91(1)(a)(i) of the Correctional
and Conditional Release Regulations, SOR/92-620 [CCRC] permits the
Warden to refuse a visit so as to ensure the security of the penitentiary or
the safety of any person.
91. (1) Subject to section 93, the institutional head or a staff
member designated by the institutional head may authorize the refusal or
suspension of a visit to an inmate where the institutional head or staff
member believes on reasonable grounds
|
91. (1) Sous
réserve de l’article 93, le directeur du pénitencier ou l’agent désigné par
lui peut autoriser l’interdiction ou la suspension d’une visite au détenu
lorsqu’il a des motifs raisonnables de croire :
|
(a) that, during
the course of the visit, the inmate or visitor would
|
a) d’une part, que le détenu ou le visiteur risque, au cours de la
visite :
|
(i) jeopardize the
security of the penitentiary or the safety of any person […]
|
(i) soit de compromettre la sécurité du pénitencier ou de
quiconque […]
|
[32]
The Commissioner of the CSC issued CD 022
under the authority granted by subsection 98(1) of the CCRA. The latest
version took effect on January 20, 2014. Section 17 imposes a procedural duty
on operational unit heads (including Wardens) when they assess media requests
for an interview with offenders.
17. Following
consultation with the Regional Deputy Commissioner, the operational unit head
will document the decision in writing and include specific reference to the
impact of the interview on the safety of any identified victim or a member of
a victim’s family
|
17. Après avoir
consulté le sous-commissaire régional, le responsable de l’unité
opérationnelle consignera la décision par écrit et inclura toute mention
spéciale concernant l’incidence de l’entrevue sur la sécurité d’une victime
ou d’un membre de la famille d’une victime dont l’identité est révélée.
|
[33]
Section 18 of CD 022 provides guidance to
Wardens for the exercise of their discretion when deciding media requests to
interview offenders. In the present case, the Warden relied on subsection 18(c)
to justify refusing the request.
18. Interviews with offenders may be granted provided the
operational unit head has fully assessed and/or determined that: […]
|
18. Les entrevues avec les délinquants peuvent être autorisées à
condition que le responsable de l’unité opérationnelle ait pleinement
évalué/ou déterminé que : […]
|
c. the interview can be conducted with minimal disruption to the
functioning of the operational unit and will not jeopardize the security of
the operational unit or present a risk to the safety of any person, including
but not limited to staff, other offenders, visitors or a victim or a member
of a victim’s family […]
|
c. l’entrevue n’entraîne pas d’interruption importante dans le
fonctionnement de l’unité opérationnelle, elle ne met pas en péril la
sécurité de l’unité et elle ne présente pas de risque pour la sécurité de quiconque,
y compris, mais sans s’y limiter, celle des membres du personnel, d’autres
délinquants, des visiteurs ou d’une victime ou d’un membre de la famille
d’une victime […]
|
V.
ANALYSIS
A.
Standard of review
[34]
Allegations of procedural unfairness warrant
review on the standard of correctness: Dunsmuir v New Brunswick, 2008
SCC 9 at para 129; Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) v Khosa,
2009 SCC 12 at para 43 [Khosa]; Mission Institution v Khela,
2014 SCC 24 at para 79 [Khela].
[35]
The issue of whether the Warden erred in
refusing the request involves mixed questions of fact and law connected to the
Warden’s expertise. The standard of reasonableness applies: Dunsmuir,
above, at para 54. Decisions of Wardens relating to the security of their
institutions call for deference: Khela, above, at paras 75-76.
[36]
Where an administrative decision implicates a Charter
right, the Supreme Court instructed in Doré v Barreau du Québec, 2012
SCC 12, that a reviewing court must assess the administrative decision on the
standard of reasonableness, querying whether it reflects a proportionate
balancing of Charter protections against countervailing considerations. In
Doré, the applicant challenged the constitutionality of the
specific administrative decision rendered against him. At para 3, Justice
Abella stated:
This raises squarely the issue of how to
protect Charter guarantees and the values they reflect in the context of
adjudicated administrative decisions. Normally, if a discretionary
administrative decision is made by an adjudicator within his or her mandate,
that decision is judicially reviewed for its reasonableness. The question is
whether the presence of a Charter issue calls for the replacement of
this administrative law framework with the Oakes test, the test
traditionally used to determine whether the state has justified a law’s
violation of the Charter as a “reasonable limit” under s. 1.
[37]
The Court decided against employing the Oakes
test. At paras 6-7, it drew the following distinction between the methodologies
for assessing Charter challenges to laws and administrative decisions:
In assessing whether a law violates the Charter,
we are balancing the government’s pressing and substantial objectives against
the extent to which they interfere with the Charter right at issue. If
the law interferes with the right no more than is reasonably necessary to
achieve the objectives, it will be found to be proportionate, and, therefore, a
reasonable limit under s. 1. In assessing whether an adjudicated decision
violates the Charter, however, we are engaged in balancing somewhat
different but related considerations, namely, has the decision-maker
disproportionately, and therefore unreasonably, limited a Charter right.
In both cases, we are looking for whether there is an appropriate balance between
rights and objectives, and the purpose of both exercises is to ensure that the
rights at issue are not unreasonably limited.
As this Court has noted, most recently in Catalyst
Paper Corp. v. North Cowichan (District), 2012 SCC 2, [2012] 1 S.C.R. 5, the
nature of the reasonableness analysis is always contingent on its context. In
the Charter context, the reasonableness analysis is one that centres on
proportionality, that is, on ensuring that the decision interferes with the
relevant Charter guarantee no more than is necessary given the statutory
objectives. If the decision is disproportionately impairing of the
guarantee, it is unreasonable. If, on the other hand, it reflects a proper
balance of the mandate with Charter protection, it is a reasonable one.
[Emphasis added]
[38]
And at paragraph 36 the Court stated:
As explained by Chief Justice McLachlin in Alberta
v. Hutterian Brethren of Wilson Colony, 2009 SCC 37, [2009] 2 S.C.R. 567,
the approach used when reviewing the constitutionality of a law should be
distinguished from the approach used for reviewing an administrative decision
that is said to violate the rights of a particular individual (see also
Bernatchez). When Charter values are applied to an individual
administrative decision, they are being applied in relation to a particular set
of facts. Dunsmuir tells us this should attract deference (para. 53; see
also Suresh v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2002
SCC 1, [2002] 1 S.C.R. 3, at para. 39).
[39]
On judicial review, reasonableness requires
justification, transparency and intelligibility within the decision-making
process. Reasonableness also requires the outcome to fall within the range of
possible, acceptable outcomes that are defensible in respect of the facts and
law. The range of acceptable outcomes varies with the context in which the
administrative decision is made: Dunsmuir, above, at para 47; Khosa,
above, at para 59.
B.
Reasonableness of the decision
[40]
In my view, the Warden’s letter, and Mr
Campbell’s two email messages, satisfy any requirement to provide reasons for
the decision under the reasonableness standard.
[41]
The applicants argue that these communications
do not adequately explain why an interview of Mr Khadr could not be conducted
safely, when the Administration Building where the interview would take place
regularly houses meetings between inmates and visitors. They contend that this
failing is compounded by the fact that the reasons given by the respondents for
refusing interview requests varied over time. While at one time Mr Khadr was
told that he could not be interviewed because “a
reduction in public notoriety” was required for his rehabilitation, the
impugned decision points to subsection 18(c) of CD 022, which relates to
danger to persons and the facility. However, the Warden never explained how any
danger might materialize and provided no evidence that she had conducted a “full assessment” of the risk posed by an interview.
[42]
While the earlier refusals may not have
withstood judicial scrutiny, they do not constitute the decision under review
on this application. That decision is the one communicated by Mr Campbell’s
emails and explained by Warden Shore in her letter of July 10, 2014.
[43]
The applicants contend that the Warden erred in
law by failing to weigh the reasons for denying the request against the media’s
and the public’s Charter right to freedom of expression. This is an
especially important right in a free and democratic society: Canadian
Newspapers Co v Canada (Attorney General), [1988] 2 S.C.R. 122 at para 14; Edmonton Journal v Alberta (Attorney General), [1989] 2 S.C.R. 1326 at
1336. It encompasses “the right to gather news and other
information without undue government interference”: Canadian
Broadcasting Corp v Lessard, [1991] 3 S.C.R. 421 at 430.
[44]
The decision is unreasonable, the applicants
submit, because it gives no consideration to this constitutional protection.
The Warden denied the interview requests – and infringed the Charter
rights of the applicants and the public – without justification. It is
unreasonable for a public authority to exercise discretion in a manner that
infringes the Charter: Dagenais v Canadian Broadcasting Corp,
[1994] 3 S.C.R. 835 at 875.
[45]
There is no dispute in these proceedings that subsection
2(b) of the Charter protects the public’s right to information. The
public relies on the freedom of expression of the press in order to develop and
express informed opinions about matters of public interest: Canadian
Broadcasting Corp v New Brunswick (Attorney General), [1991] 3 S.C.R. 459 at
475; Canadian Broadcasting Corp v New Brunswick (Attorney General),
[1996] 3 S.C.R. 480 at para 26.
[46]
The impugned decision affects the applicants’
expressive interests by preventing them from collecting the material they
require in order to transmit information and opinion to the public. Unjustified
restrictions on press freedom do not only infringe the rights and interests of
media institutions but also those of the general public.
[47]
Media organizations such as the applicants may
legitimately expect constitutional protection for free expression in a
penitentiary. Interviewing a high profile inmate for the purpose of sharing his
story with the public, at a time when political debate continues about his
case, contributes to at least the first two purposes of subsection 2(b), namely
promoting democratic discourse and truth finding: Montréal (City) v
2952-1366 Québec Inc, 2005 SCC 62 at para 74. This is even more compelling,
as the applicants argue, when it is apparent that the subject of the interview
will be released at some point in the future and there is a continuing
controversy about his place in Canadian society.
[48]
However, as the respondents submit, the right to
freedom of expression is not absolute. It suffers reasonable limits. In the
context of a penitentiary, this right must be balanced against the need to
protect the security of the institution and the safety of persons, including
the staff, the prison population and any particular inmate.
[49]
Penitentiaries are heavily restricted
environments. Members of the public may enter to visit inmates but only on very
strict conditions. A visit can be suspended or cancelled if the Warden or a
designate believes that there is a risk to the security of the institution or
the safety of any person. A penitentiary is not a place where the public has an
expectation of exercising its right to freedom of expression. The unrestricted
exercise of this right is not consistent with the “function
of the place”: Montréal (City), above, at paras 72-77.
[50]
In Doré, above, at paras 55-58, the
Supreme Court stated that the task of a decision-maker is to balance Charter
values with statutory objectives when exercising its discretion. First, the
decision-maker must consider the statutory objectives. Then, it must “ask how the Charter value at issue will best be protected
in view of the statutory objectives”. In the result, “[i]f, in exercising its statutory discretion, the
decision-maker has properly balanced the relevant Charter value with the
statutory objectives, the decision will be found to be reasonable”.
[51]
In this instance, the Warden was called upon to
balance freedom of expression against security and safety imperatives. She has
the recognized experience and expertise to make such discretionary decisions
and she is owed significant deference: Khela, above, at paras 75-76.
This is reflected in subsection 71(1) of the CCRA and subparagraph
91(1)(a)(i) of the CCRC.
[52]
The Warden did not explicitly make reference to
the constitutional protection afforded to freedom of expression in her letter.
This could be understood to mean that the decision-maker ignored or minimized
the importance of expressive interests in the balancing exercise. However, Doré
does not say that it is mandatory for decision-makers to explicitly refer to Charter
values in their analyses. The substance of the decision must be taken into
account, not whether it pays lip service to the Charter. The letter
states that the Warden took into consideration the submissions made by Ms
Shephard and counsel for the applicants. Those submissions expressly referenced
the Charter. While reasonable people might disagree with the outcome,
there is nothing on the record before me to suggest that the Warden ignored or
minimized those values.
[53]
The July 10, 2014 letter and the additional information
provided in Mr McKill’s affidavit demonstrate that the particular layout of
Bowden Institution lends an air of reality to the concern that it would have
been difficult to conduct the interview safely. There is a significant
difference between regular visits and on-camera interviews with high profile
inmates. Inevitably, the latter will generate a higher level of curiosity and
interest among the inmate population than the former. Contrary to the
applicants’ contention, these concerns are not offset by the fact that Mr
Khadr’s profile was already high or that there have been no further incidents
compromising his safety or the security of the institution despite inflammatory
statements made about him by public officials.
[54]
It is irrelevant that the Warden of Edmonton
Institution, in his grievance reply to Mr Khadr, justified his denial of Ms
Shephard’s interview request made to the Warden of Millhaven Institution by
invoking Mr Khadr’s notoriety. That decision is not currently under review.
What is under review is the refusal rendered by the Warden of Bowden
Institution, expressed in Mr Campbell’s two email messages and the Warden’s
letter. These three communications all raise subsection 18(c) of CD 022
as the basis for the decision. Contrary to the applicants’ argument, the decision-maker
did not change her reasons over time. Moreover, there is no evidence to show
that she failed to conduct a “full assessment” of
risk.
[55]
The Court cannot speculate that an
administrative authority behaved unfairly in the absence of any evidence. The applicants
could have sought information to assist the Court in this determination
pursuant to Rule 317. In Ochapowace First Nation v Canada (Attorney General),
2007 FC 920 at para 12, aff’d 2009 FCA 124, Justice de Montigny asserted that “[t]he onus clearly falls on the applicants to provide
admissible evidence to prove the federal board, commission or other tribunal
acted in a manner amounting to an established ground for review under section
18.1(4) of the Federal Courts Act…” At para 19, he continued:
The requirement to produce under Rules 317 and
318 of the Rules is intended to ensure that the record that was before
the tribunal when it made its decision or order is before the Court on judicial
review. Obviously, a party should not request material that is already in its
possession. That being said, the prudent course of action would be to request
from a tribunal or other decision maker the relevant material that is in its
possession if there is any prospect of a debate as to what was before the
tribunal when it made its decision. Bearing in mind that the applicant has the
burden of establishing, by affidavit or otherwise, what was before the decision
maker, the failure to make a request under Rule 317 of the Rules can
only work to the applicant’s disadvantage.
[Emphasis added]
[56]
If the applicants had requested disclosure and
the certified tribunal record contained no evidence that the Warden followed
section 17 of CD 022, the Court might have drawn an inference adverse to
the respondents. Evidence within that record might have shown that the Warden
did not conduct a proportionate balancing exercise, either by overstating the
statutory objectives or understating the importance of freedom of expression. However,
this has not occurred. The applicants have not met the onus for proving their
allegations.
[57]
The record does indicate that the Warden took
into consideration the accommodations proposed by the applicants to minimize
the risk. While she concluded that these would not be sufficient, it is
evidence that her mind was at least open to the possibility. There is no
indication that an alternative method, such as an interview through an exchange
of written questions and answers, was proposed. I accept that this would not
have satisfied the applicants’ purpose, which was to obtain a visual and audio
record of Mr Khadr’s responses to questions as they were posed. There is
nothing intrinsically objectionable to this and a positive decision would also
have been within the range of acceptable outcomes. However, there is nothing in
the record to support the inference that the applicants would like this Court
to make: that the interview was refused because it may have portrayed Mr Khadr
in a more sympathetic manner to the Canadian public than has been presented in
some public statements by government officials and others.
[58]
While it is not pertinent to the issues before
me on this application, the parties agreed that I could take notice of the fact
that Mr Khadr has been able to express himself directly to the Canadian public
through an article published in the Ottawa Citizen on October 28, 2014.
As such, the Warden’s decision has not deprived the public of its right to hear
directly from Mr Khadr.
[59]
I agree with the respondents that the record indicates that the
Warden relied on her experience to determine that allowing an
interview would require a significant disruption of activities and would risk
undermining the security of the institution and Mr Khadr’s safety. Applying the
reasonableness standard, her decision deserves deference. It reflects a
proportionate balancing of the Charter value of free expression against
the statutory objectives of institutional security and safety of persons.
[60]
In reaching these conclusions, I have not
ignored the unfortunate history of apparent interference and public statements
by government officials since Mr Khadr’s repatriation that the applicants urged
I take into consideration. However, there is nothing before me to suggest that
the decision by CSC officials to deny the interview request was made otherwise
than in good faith, applying the statutory and regulatory framework. As counsel
for the respondents argued at the hearing, that background is, at least as it
concerns this application, “ancient history”.
[61]
In closing, I wish to note that, at the hearing, I drew counsel’s
attention to a decision from the United Kingdom and invited their comments. In R
(BBC) v Secretary of State for Justice, [2012] EWHC 13 (Admin) [BBC],
the High Court held that a decision refusing a face-to-face interview with a
detainee disproportionately infringed the guarantee of freedom of expression
enshrined in article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Counsel for the respondents requested additional time to provide written
submissions in relation to this decision. In light of the conclusions I have
reached, that will not be necessary.
[62]
The BBC decision is distinguishable from the matter before
me for several reasons. Most importantly, the High Court adopted a
proportionality framework similar to the Oakes test (at para 51) and
expressed skepticism towards the idea of deference (at para 53). This is the
approach that the Supreme Court of Canada rejected in Doré.
[63]
Moreover, the facts of the case before the Court
differ significantly from those in BBC. Indeed, at para 55, Justice
Singh listed ten reasons provided by the claimants to justify the
exceptionality of their request. Only the last one – that media outlets had
carried several items concerning the potential interviewee’s case in the past –
resonates with the present facts, which are otherwise distinguishable. The High
Court noted, at para 82, that the facts in that case were“highly
exceptional”. It was only on the basis of those facts that the application
of the policy in question was found to constitute a disproportionate
interference with the right to freedom of expression.
[64]
For these reasons, I do not consider that it would be helpful to
the Court to receive additional written submissions on the BBC decision.
[65]
The respondents have requested costs. In view of the public
interests at issue in these proceedings, I will exercise my discretion to order
that the parties shall bear their own costs.