Leaks of Secret Information ‘Happen Often,’ Lawyer for Ex-RCMP Official Tells Court

Leaks of Secret Information ‘Happen Often,’ Lawyer for Ex-RCMP Official Tells Court
Cameron Jay Ortis (R) a former RCMP intelligence director accused of disclosing classified information, leaves the Ottawa Courthouse following a break in proceedings in Ottawa on Oct. 3, 2023. The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby
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A lawyer for a former RCMP intelligence official accused of breaching Canada’s secrets law said Wednesday that government leaks of sensitive information “happen often.”

Mark Ertel, who represents Cameron Jay Ortis, suggested in Ontario Superior Court that some people have authority to leak highly classified information and therefore it may—or may not be—an offence.