OTTAWA — A judge is expected to hear sharply differing arguments about the punishment he should hand to former RCMP intelligence official Cameron Jay Ortis.

A hearing scheduled for today and Friday will help Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Maranger decide on a sentence for Ortis, convicted of breaching Canada’s secrets law. 

In November, jurors declared Ortis guilty of three counts of violating the Security of Information Act and one count of attempting to do so. 

They also found him guilty of breach of trust and fraudulent use of a computer. 

Following the jury’s verdict, prosecutor Judy Kliewer suggested the Crown would seek a prison sentence in the range of 20 or more years. 

Mark Ertel, a lawyer for Ortis, said the defence would argue their client had already served enough time behind bars as the proceedings played out. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press