We've finally found a judge to preside over hearings alleging that Conservative Party organizers' resorted to deceptive robocalls in six ridings in the last election.
In fact, the judge is one of the best in Canada and he really knows his stuff.
Federal Court Justice Richard Mosley will rule on the allegations of the Council of Canadians that hundreds, possibly thousands of voters, were called up using pre-recorded automatic calls and directed to non-existent polling stations on voting day.
There were 1,394 complaints about misleading calls filed to Elections Canada in 234 of the 305 constituencies.
There were hundreds of other voters who got calls from real people using false names sending them to the wrong place to vote. In other cases voters were called up in the middle of the night by anonymous callers claiming to be from the Liberal party or the New Democratic Party.
Some Liberals and New Democrats are saying it was the work of Harper Conservatives and are accusing them of having stolen the election. They want the judge to rule on their allegations.
Harper categorically denies his organizers did such a thing. Both sides are ready. So are their lawyers. The hearings could take months, maybe years.
Justice Mosley is a former Deputy Minister of Justice. He is also a former crown prosecutor who knows criminal law. He was appointed to the Federal Court by former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in 2003 and has the confidence of the three opposition parties.
Mosley has done political cases before. He was the judge who ordered Harper to release the controversial video of the interrogation of Canadian child soldier Omar Khadr by the Canadian intelligence agents in Cuba.
The hearings will begin on December 10, but likely adjourn soon afterwards until the New Year.
