Federal Court of Canada secretly uses internet to investigate people and cases appearing before judges

Dr. Eric Cole – former Commissioner on CyberSecurity to President Obama – confirms secret investigations by Federal Court of Canada

Financial Post article reports stunning new development in Canadian Judicial Council case.

by Donald Best, former Sergeant, Toronto Police

Judges and/or employees of the Federal Court of Canada (‘FCC’) conducted extensive secret online investigations into my case, my witnesses, my lawyer and me during the over a year and a half that my CJC Judicial Review case was before that court.

Even during the November 20, 2017 final hearing as my lawyer was in court speaking to Justice Boswell – the FCC staff and/or Justice Boswell himself were googling about the case and downloading evidence, information and exhibits from the internet. 

As reported by Julias Melnitzer in the Financial Post, the above has been forensically confirmed by US computer networking expert (and former commissioner on cybersecurity for President Obama) Dr. Eric Cole in a sworn affidavit filed in Ontario courts. (Available here as a .pdf: without exhibits 2.5mbwith exhibits 33mb)

Secret evidence is prohibited in our courts.

So what’s the problem with judges and their staff secretly collecting information online about the cases, litigants, accused persons, witnesses and lawyers appearing before the judge?

That’s easy – this secret and unlawful court activity strikes right to the heart of our standards for a fair and open trial process.

Persons before the court have a right to see, examine and challenge all evidence considered by the court and to do so in public. This standard goes back over eight hundred years to the Magna Carta and is what differentiates English-based judicial practice from so many other countries and cultures.

Thus in the British, American and Canadian courts, jury members and judges are not supposed to do independent research into the cases they are considering. This is to ensure that all the evidence the court or jury members consider is on the record and in public so the prosecution and defence are aware of the evidence, can test it for accuracy and make submissions as to its value and interpretation in the case.

If the judge or jury members consider evidence that nobody else is aware of, they are conducting a portion of the trial in secret.

The issue of no secret evidence in the courts is so important to justice and fair trials that in the United States and Britain jury members are regularly jailed for violating this prohibition. Recently in Canada two lengthy criminal proceedings were declared mistrial when jurors were caught independently researching the case.

Jurors are usually caught when another member of the jury finds out and alerts the court staff. As one can imagine though, catching judges secretly investigating cases is exponentially more difficult although there have been a few recent instances in the USA and Canada.

Federal Court Justice Keith Boswell

Federal Court of Canada in full cover-up mode

It is apparent in the sworn affidavit of Dr. Eric Cole that the Federal Court of Canada was caught red-handed using the internet and google searches to secretly gather information about my case and the involved parties and witnesses for over a year and a half.

Further, Dr. Cole confirms that the Courts Administration Service that operates the computer network for the Federal Court of Canada knows exactly which judges and court staff are involved.

In a series of letters between Chantal Carbonneau, Deputy Chief Administrator of Judicial and Registry Services and my lawyer Paul Slansky, Ms. Carbonneau…

  1. admitted that court personnel conducted the investigations,
  2. indicated that she had knowledge of the people involved, but…
  3. refused to identify the judges and/or court staff who conducted the secret investigations into my case, and my lawyers and witnesses – and me.

There is much more to come regarding this story. The main takeaways are the following…

  1. For over a year and a half, Federal Court of Canada judges and/or their staff used the internet to conduct secret investigations and to gather information and evidence about the Donald Best – Justice J. Bryan Shaughnessy case before the court.
  2. Expert witness Dr. Eric Cole, former Commissioner on CyberSecurity to President Obama, confirms the misconduct of the Federal Court of Canada personnel, and that the Courts Administration Service and the FCC know everything about which FCC judges and court personnel secretly researched the Donald Best – Justice Bryan Shaughnessy case before the court.
  3. The Courts Administration Service and the Federal Court of Canada refuse to release information about which judges and court personnel secretly researched the Donald Best – Justice J. Bryan Shaughnessy case and the involved persons.

How many other cases did Federal Court of Canada judges secretly research on the Internet? Did the judge consider secret evidence in YOUR case before the Federal Court of Canada?

9 comments

  • Most of us have seen strange goings on for years in our lives through personal experiences at work & through the experiences of friends and family, but could never put a finger on it. Thanks to internet, whistleblowers, independent journalists and President Trump & his administration especially, the picture is now crystal clear that there really is a Swamp, a Cabal, an organized global crime ring which has been in control for centuries – it isn’t random individuals, but a coordinated group, that uses institutions to manipulate, exploit and control the People; not to benefit us in any way, but to benefit themselves. The film, “They Live” from a couple of decades ago, which I laughed at then, was truer than I ever imagined. Very glad to know all who are fighting the good fight, and on the Team : ) Keep up the great work! #WWG1WGA #DrainTheSwamp #GodSpeedTheGreatAwakening.

  • The Financial Post wrote an article regarding your case. Mr. Best and the Federal Court secretly investigating it. Thats a step in the right direction and your stubborness is winning. Has the fee the Court slapped on to appeal been rescinded based on this evidence of federal court tampering? Please update us on the events taking place.

    This is getting really good and the John Grisham book Runaway Jury is a must read. The movie with Gene Hackman John Cusack was really good and brought the book to life. I liked the point in the financial post where it mentioned the federal court focused on only your story and ignored the other links on your website. Thats interesting because most readers Im sure follow all links and stories given by posters not just yours because thats important to getting a real view of the extent of corruption and cover up in Canada. So for the Federal court to zero in on only your information tells us something and I am not liking that at all.

    Kudos to your determination as eventually the media cant ignore it. Please let us know if there might be a court order to force the federal court employee named Carbonneau to reveal the names.

  • Yes all readers of Donald Best story need to share it with their coworkers families .

  • Horrible. The things they get away with, years and years of abuse, hypocrisy, coverups, deception, harassment, stalking, surveilling. Whatever imaginable to betray someone.Follow you to the other side of the world. Hurting people then infiltrating media the very next day, about how outstanding they are and they would never, ever do anything wrong. Multiple agencies abusing, stalking you on and on. When one is spying, they are all spying and its all about betraying another. Go on a local radio station and honestly, boldly speak out against these things and what will happen? youll get bought out, shut down, infiltrated, management will mysteriously change etc. How they get away with all this abuse and a media that overall, helps to cover it up…unreal…so much evil and darkness it will make you cry but they just laugh amongst themselves and curse you, as one that is deranged would do…filled with sociopaths.
    But Give God glory! for he is still the highest and the greatest! haha! the bible says “Now i know the Lord is greater than all gods, for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them”
    The highest!
    The greatest!

  • How did Eric Cole happen to help you. Your readers are interested. We owe Eric Cole a debt of gratitude as he comes with an impeccable resume. One hard to mess with. These are the individuals that we hope read these websites and respond to. The Supreme Court ignored the affidavit and expert advice of Bill Majcher former rcmp agent in the English family lawsuit.

  • We can thank the federal court for being so stupid. These guys were reading and downloading solid beyond a shadow of a doubt evidence and their federal court judge Boswell may have done so as well and he ignored this very compelling evidence and ruled against Donald Best. That’s so incredible that their illegal investigations have further solidified to the public the huge cover up of crooked people by our Courts If any of the Court employees were honest then we would be seeing evidence of this but to date nothing.

    We were waiting and watching as we knew the court would do this and we knew they would be reading this website and checking out the posters as well.

  • Im wondering why this important information is not on the news or in the newspaper . It is so important for Canadians to know what is going on in our courts This needs to be heard but instead it is hidden. They are guilty and they dont want people to know the truth

  • For a judge to go online and secretly search a person who will stand before him in court threatens justice.

    I am wondering if anyone else has had their right to claim property they legally own denied by a BC Supreme Court Judge and if so were they in the courtroom when their claim was struck or was it done in secrecy without their knowledge or presence.

  • Grace M Joubarne

    Incredible find Donald…I make sure that my colleagues all hear of your amazing work and I urge everyone to support you financially as much as possible, although I know that most Ontarians are struggling immensely with one unjust government/court action piled on top of another.