While Norman’s legal team commended the Crown for exercising its discretion to drop the case “unimpacted by any political considerations,” the redoubtable Ms. Henein made it clear that both Trudeau’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the Privy Council Office (PCO) were responsible for not disclosing documents that would have resulted in charges being dropped earlier. And, she said, the PMO had counselled witnesses on what they could or could not say at trial.
Nearly as despicable as these attempts to obstruct justice was the government choosing not to pay Norman’s legal fees, even though the entire case arose directly from his employment. Within minutes of the prosecutors throwing in the towel, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan bumbled his way through a scripted statement that Norman’s legal fees would, after all, be paid by the government because “of the decision that has been made today.”
For a prime minister who regularly apologizes for wrongdoings done by others and weeps on cue, the very least a decent man would do is apologize to Vice Admiral Norman for the harm done to his career, his family and his reputation.
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