Lawyers for the chief financial officer of Chinese tech giant Huawei want the B.C. Supreme Court to order the release of more confidential documents in an extradition case that’s soured relations between Ottawa and Beijing.
Lawyers for the Attorney General of Canada are trying to block access to the documents that relate to Meng Wanzhou's arrest at Vancouver's airport in 2018, claiming legal privilege to keep the information confidential.
The defence has received 400 documents, many of them heavily redacted, and the lawyers told a B.C. Supreme Court hearing today that they need the information to prove Meng's rights were violated when she was detained by border officials before being arrested by the RCMP.
They argued that the alleged misconduct means privilege would not apply and told the court the Attorney General was also inconsistent in releasing some documents but not others, claiming the release of those documents implies a waiver of privilege for others that remain confidential.
The United States wants Meng extradited to face fraud charges, alleging she violated American sanctions against Iran.
Both Huawei and Meng deny the allegations.
She is living at her home in Vancouver on bail and attended Monday’s hearing by phone.