OTTAWA - Lawyers for three Canadians accused of terrorist ties will not be given special access to closed-door hearings on their clients' arrest and torture abroad.
Former Supreme Court judge Frank Iacobucci has been appointed to examine the cases of Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad El Maati and Muayyed Nureddin. In a key ruling on how the inquiry will unfold, Iacobucci says giving special security clearances to the men's lawyers would not be workable.
The government had argued at an April hearing that nearly all future proceedings should be held behind closed doors -- not just to protect national security but also to speed up the investigation.
The three men deny any terrorist activity and blame faulty intelligence from the RCMP and CSIS for their mistreatment in Syria and Egypt.
Iacobucci says the inquiry will take a broad look at how the men were treated to determine the role played by Canadian officials.
