The Federal Court has mandated the disclosure of previously hidden sections of a September 1986 report commissioned for a significant federal inquiry on war crimes. Federal Court Justice Simon Fothergill, in a recent public announcement, directed the government to reveal redacted parts of the report concerning the resettlement of suspected Nazi war criminals in Canada post-World War II.
B’nai Brith Canada has been advocating for the release of additional information from the study conducted by researcher Alti Rodal for several years. Earlier this year, in response to a request from B’nai Brith, Library and Archives Canada unveiled some more sections of the report. However, certain details, including sections detailing the involvement of American intelligence agencies in aiding the relocation of Nazi collaborators in Canada, were still withheld by Library and Archives.
In his decision, Fothergill dismissed the government’s argument that divulging specific details could negatively impact Canada’s international relationships.