CROWN DROPS BREACH-OF-TRUST CHARGE AGAINST VICE-ADMIRAL MARK NORMAN
May 08, 2019
By Bob Komsic
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Mark Norman is free after federal Crown prosecutors announced they were withdrawing the breach-of-trust case against the Canadian military’s former second-in-command.
The case over alleged leaks of government secrets, which was expected to play out during the fall federal election campaign, surprisingly ended after the prosecution decided information received from Norman’s lawyers last month, led to the conclusion there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction.
”The Department of Public Prosecutions decided to lay the charge, and they decided today, we decided alone, without political interference whatsoever, that we couldn’t make the charge,” said lead prosecutor Barbara Mercier.
Later, Norman said he’s pleased to be ”exonerated of any wrongdoing” but is disappointed by the ”alarming and protected bias”.
He added he has an ”important story” to tell Canadians, which he will share in the coming days.
Norman’s lawyer Marie Henein calls the Crown’s decision ”bittersweet” but should give Canadians confidence the justice system is ”truly unassailable” and that prosecutors act independently.
Norman was suspended as vice-chief of the defence staff, then charged over alleged leaks of secret information about a navy shipbuilding contract.