Government says closed-door hearings may be needed during foreign interference inquiry: commissioner

The head of a federal inquiry into foreign interference says the government has told her it will be necessary to hear some evidence behind closed doors.

In a notice issued late Friday, commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue said the government will have the burden of convincing her that disclosure of such evidence to inquiry participants or the public could endanger national security.

If Hogue and her counsel are not persuaded by government arguments, she will require that the evidence be presented in public hearings.

On the other hand, if she agrees to a closed-door session, known as an in-camera hearing, a summary of the evidence presented will be prepared for public release.

Hogue said that if the government and the commission disagree on the need to keep certain information under wraps, she will notify the government of her intention to disclose it.

In turn, the government will then have the option of bringing the dispute before the Federal Court.

«The attorney general of Canada has already advised the commission that it will be necessary to receive certain evidence in camera, for reasons of national security or other public interest,» the notice said.

The inquiry is delving into allegations of foreign interference by China, India, Russia or others in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Hearings on the substance of the accusations are expected to take place next month, with a report on the findings due May 3.

The Friday notice from Hogue followed an initial one-week hearing, held in late January and early February, that explored ways to be transparent about the highly sensitive subject.

Federal lawyers advised the inquiry that the public release — through the ongoing commission process — of detailed intelligence about interference