Mark Norman gets 2019 trial date in shadow of federal election
OTTAWA — The federal Liberals are being accused of withholding secret documents in the politically charged case against one of the military’s most senior leaders, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, whose criminal trial is set to run through next year’s election.
Norman’s high-profile lawyer, Marie Henein, issued the complaint against the government during a hearing Tuesday inside an Ottawa courtroom packed with supporters, including a number of former military officers and industry representatives.
The military suspended Norman in January 2017 as the second-in-command of the Canadian Armed Forces. He was charged earlier this year with one count of breach of trust for allegedly leaking government secrets — known as “cabinet confidences” — to a Quebec shipyard. He has denied any wrongdoing.
The Opposition Conservatives and many of Norman’s supporters have accused the Liberals of political interference in the case, with some suggesting Norman has been charged unfairly.