Bombshell development in Iain Hunt case with national security concerns - BERITAJA

It was a acold Monday greeting connected March 29, 2021, erstwhile Trina Hunt’s remains were discovered adjacent Hope.

More than 5 years later, a bombshell development.

“Honestly, a complete authorities of disbelief,” Stephanie Ibbott, Trina Hunt’s cousin-in-law, said.

“It makes nary sense.”

The Attorney General of Canada revenge an exertion successful national tribunal successful Ottawa past period nether subsection 38.04 (1) of the Canada Evidence Act, seeking to withhold “sensitive” accusation successful the lawsuit against Trina’s hubby — Iain Hunt — because, if revealed, it would frighten nationalist security.

“It is highly rare,” Michel Juneau Katsuya, a erstwhile CSIS intelligence officer, told BERITAJA.

“Obviously here, personification wants to protect immoderate delicate accusation that individuals, somewhere, somehow, correspond a consequence to the national government.”

Iain Hunt was charged successful February 2025 pinch 1 count of indignity to quality remains for allegedly disposing of his wife’s body, 2 days earlier he reported her missing from Port Moody successful January 2021.

No 1 has been charged pinch the 48-year-old’s death.

Nine months aft Iain was charged, an unidentified personification notified the Attorney General of Canada “that they judge delicate aliases perchance harmful (injurious) accusation whitethorn beryllium disclosed…” successful relationship pinch the lawsuit against Iain.

A period later successful December 2025, the Attorney General of Canada refused to authorize the merchandise of the concealed content, stating… “Disclosure of the accusation successful mobility would beryllium injurious to nationalist security.” (Source: Attorney General of Canada, Federal Court Application, revenge March 2026)

“Certainly ne'er seen it successful this benignant of case,” Patrick McCann said.

He is portion of a typical group of Canadian lawyers pinch apical concealed information clearance for nationalist information proceedings.

In much than 40 years successful criminal law, McCann has only been progressive successful 2 conception 38 applications.

“Defence whitethorn not cognize what the rationale is for withholding it is,” he said.

“They would cognize what they are looking for, but they would not cognize the discourse that created the nationalist information issue. They may; they whitethorn not.”

A spy, confidential informant, aliases delicate exertion are each examples of what could beryllium captured successful a uncommon conception 38 application, which is specifically invoked to protect accusation that could harm: nationalist security, nationalist defence, aliases world relations if the contented is disclosed successful court.

“I’ve ne'er seen thing for illustration this,” Rob Dhanu, K.C., a criminal lawyer and erstwhile Crown prosecutor, said.

“Ultimately, if a judge decides that our nationalist information interests are astatine stake, it could lead to a enactment of proceedings.”

Trina’s family and the nationalist are successful the acheronian about erstwhile the confidential proceeding will return place. The Department of Justice will only opportunity a day has not been confirmed.

“We’re obscurity adjacent to justness and yet there’s the imaginable that the full case, truthful far, arsenic we cognize it, could get thrown out, truthful honestly, where’s the accountability?” Ibbott said.

Iain Hunt is not successful custody. His lawyer, Greg Delbigio, has declined to remark because the lawsuit is earlier the courts.

Iain’s provincial tribunal proceedings connected 1 count of indignity to quality remains is group for October 2027, but this is hinging connected the result of the nationalist information exertion successful national court.

–with files from Rumina Daya / BERITAJA