A major Brampton criminal case has fallen apart after an extraordinary Crown disclosure mistake revealed the identities of two confidential police informants — one of whom was actually among the accused — prompting a judge to stay all charges due to the severe danger now facing those individuals.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Kenneth Campbell issued the ruling in a pretrial decision, noting that the disclosure breach struck at the heart of Canada’s ironclad confidential-informant privilege, which he described as “absolute or near absolute.” Once the identities of the informants were inadvertently given to defence counsel for other accused individuals, Campbell said the trial could not proceed safely or fairly.
While the judge did not disclose names, charges or lawyers involved, the court file number referenced in related documents points to an ongoing human trafficking case in Brampton — one involving what Campbell called “very serious” allegations that could have resulted in lengthy penitentiary sentences if convictions were secured.
Court documents reveal that both the accused and a family member had served as long-term confidential informants, repeatedly supplying police with intelligence that allowed the accused to “work off” their own criminal charges. Once enough information was provided, pending charges would be quietly resolved.
Campbell emphasized that the Crown’s disclosure error has placed both informants in immediate and potentially lethal danger. “It is possible,” he warned, “that someone may seek to harm, or even kill” the accused or their family member, now believed to have cooperated with authorities.
The Crown proposed a reduced sentence and protective custody if the case moved forward, but Campbell rejected the remedy outright, saying it could not undo the breach or safeguard the individuals at risk.
Instead, he urged both the accused and their family member to immediately enter witness protection. “They should make immediate efforts to agree to enter … the Witness Protection Program,” he wrote, adding that he hopes they are already secure under federal protection given the “fatal consequences” they may face.
The rare collapse of the case underscores how a single disclosure mistake can derail major prosecutions — and endanger lives — when confidential informant identities are mishandled.