OTTAWA –As former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould debated whether to intervene in the corruption prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, she received legal advice from her department that underscored what an unprecedented move that would be.The legal advice prepared by the department set out her possible options on the SNC-Lavalin prosecution, including the ability to seek outside legal advice, but it stressed that no chief prosecutor has ever intervened in a specific case, and that any decision to intervene must be “hers alone.”“Any decisions by the Attorney General of Canada are hers to make, independent of political considerations or processes, and in the public eye,” the document states.The Liberal government is in the midst of a political firestorm over whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his officials exerted undue pressure on the Wilson-Raybould to overrule the director of public prosecutions, and direct her to negotiate a deal with the Quebec company under a brand new law to allow remediated agreements in certain financial crime cases.Wilson-Raybould says Trudeau and his officials raised “inappropriate” political considerations – such as the possibility of job losses in a province where the Liberals are counting on seats to be re-elected. But she testified their actions did not cross any legal lines.Trudeau and his team, including his Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick and former top aide Gerald Butts, have denied pressuring her, but insisted job losses were a proper public policy consideration that had to be weighed, and said they encouraged her to take outside legal advice. Wilson-Raybould is seeking to bolster her testimony with copies of emails and texts. Read more: Liberals block new inquiry into SNC-LavalinWe answer your most pressing questionsWhy SNC-Lavalin is so important to QuebecOn Friday, the House of Commons’ justice committee is expected to release her documents along with a new written ...
|
