Lawyers for Glen Assoun seek to keep some info in murder case sealed
Three informants provided information that helped overturn Nova Scotia man's conviction
Lawyers for a Nova Scotia man who spent nearly 17 years in prison for the killing of his ex-girlfriend are trying to permanently conceal the names of three men who helped get his murder conviction overturned.
Three media outlets — the CBC, the Halifax Examiner and The Canadian Press — have jointly applied to have a 2014 sealing order lifted on information gathered during a review of Glen Assoun's case.
Now, Assoun's lawyers are applying in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax to keep the names of three informants under wraps.
Two of the three informants are inmates in federal prisons serving lengthy sentences.
The lawyers for Innocence Canada, a group that investigates allegations of wrongful convictions, argue if it was known the two men co-operated with the review, their lives would be in jeopardy.
The lawyers, Philip Campbell and Sean MacDonald, said the third witness provided information to Assoun's team over the years and his life could also be in jeopardy if his identity was revealed.
Glen Assoun was convicted of second-degree murder in September 1999 for the killing of Brenda Way.
The body of the 28-year-old woman was found behind an apartment building in Dartmouth in November 1995. She was stabbed to death.
Assoun served nearly 17 years in prison, maintaining his innocence throughout.
His lawyers eventually persuaded the federal justice minister to take a look at the file. The Criminal Conviction Review Group, a branch of the federal Justice Department, undertook the review.
As a result, Justice Minister David Lametti ordered a new trial. Crown prosecutors opted not to call evidence and the charge against Assoun was withdrawn earlier this year.
Questions raised about Assoun case
The case has raised many questions, particularly about the evidence gathered by the review group.
That information was ordered sealed by Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice James Chipman at the start of the review process in October 2014.
Once the case against Assoun was completed, the media outlets applied to have the sealing order lifted.
Lawyers are scheduled to make arguments at a hearing on July 2 in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.
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