Ottawa

No, apparently he can’t (convince a majority of Canadians that Omar Khadr will get a fair trial)

Not, at least, by his very presence. Or so says Angus Reid’s latest

Since July, a plurality of Canadians has expressed concerns over the fairness of a legal process in Guantanamo Bay. Earlier this month, 44 per cent of respondents said Khadr would not get a fair trial—including 51 per cent of those aged 18-34. Conversely, 36 per cent of Canadians think a fair process is possible in Guantanamo—including 51 per cent of male respondents.

To be fair, the number who say he will  be treated fairly has gone up since November – but is ITQ the only one who’d really like to see the regional breakdowns this time around too? 

[…]Canadians are split in their assessment of Khadr’s case. In the online survey of a representative national sample, 40 per cent of respondents claim that Khadr should be repatriated to face due process under Canadian law, while 38 per cent prefer to leave Khadr to face trial by military commission in Guantanamo Bay.[…]

When informed of the possible closure of Guantanamo, 47 per cent of respondents believe Khadr should be repatriated to face due process under Canadian law, while 38 per cent would seek his transfer to the United States to face federal prosecution there.

Respondents aged 18-34 (56%) and those over the age of 55 (49%) endorse Khadr’s repatriation in the even of Guantanamo’s closure, while a plurality of those aged 35-54 (43%) believe a trial in an American court is the best policy option. […]

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.