Transparency International Canada and Transparency International Secretariat have brought a joint motion for leave to intervene in the Supreme Court of Canada appeal of World Bank Group v. Kevin Wallace, et al. The appeal will consider whether an immunity conferred under Canadian law to an international organization may be vitiated by cooperation between the international organization (The World Bank) and domestic Canadian law enforcement (Royal Canadian Mounted Police). At stake is the manner in which Canada can continue to participate in the global fight against bribery and corruption in both developing and developed countries for the benefit of Canadians and all citizens of the world.If granted leave to intervene, TI Canada and TI Secretariat will argue that global anti-corruption efforts cannot be successful without full-bodied protections for whistleblowers, who play an essential role in exposing corruption, fraud, mismanagement and other wrongdoing, often at serious personal risk. It is therefore critical that international organizations retain the ability to provide whistleblowers with ironclad and internationally-recognizable assurances that their identities will not be revealed. These assurances are necessary both so that whistleblowers are in fact protected, and so that those with information do not stay silent for fear of retaliation or reprisal.TI Canada and TI Secretariat will also submit that a broad recognition from the Supreme Court of Canada of the privileges and immunities that Canada grants to international organizations is essential to Canada’s continued participation in the global fight against corruption. Canada has an international responsibility to pursue allegations of corruption against its nationals under its own domestic laws, including the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act, (S.C. 1998, c. 34). Much of the cooperation between Canadian agencies and international organizations is made possible as a result of the privileges and immunities that Canada and other states have provided to these organizations.The full Motion Record is available here: SCC Motion Record of Transparency International Canada Inc., et al....
