Abdelrazik torture lawsuit delay would be unconscionable, his lawyer tells judge
OTTAWA — The federal government is making a last-minute plea to delay the Federal Court hearing of a long-simmering lawsuit from a Montreal man over Canada’s role in his detention in Sudan.
The case was set to begin Monday, nine years after Abousfian Abdelrazik filed the suit against the federal government to win an apology and compensation for his ordeal.
Last week, the Justice Department advised Abdelrazik’s lawyer that the government would seek an adjournment of the civil trial to review the thousands of pages of evidence disclosed to date.
Federal lawyer Sandy Graham told the court Monday that the passage of time means the documents must be given a second look to ensure the most complete record possible is available for trial.