On October 13, 2020, the Attorney General of Canada filed a Notice of Intent to Defend in response to Equibit Group Ltd.’s Statement of Claim against CSIS and other Crown defendants.
This filing marked the Government of Canada’s formal entry into the legal proceedings and confirmed that it would not default on the action, but would instead contest the serious allegations made against Canada’s intelligence agency.
The Notice
Read the full Notice of Intent to Defend here:
Context and Significance
The filing came approximately two months after Equibit served its Statement of Claim. In it, the Attorney General signaled its intention to defend the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) against allegations of unlawful surveillance, technical sabotage, use of human intelligence assets, and coordinated interference targeting a legitimate Canadian technology company.
This response was expected, but its timing and content set the tone for what has become a protracted and procedurally complex legal battle. Since then, the case has seen significant delays, periods of default by the government, and unusual procedural developments — all of which are documented on this site.
The Broader Picture
The Attorney General’s decision to defend CSIS raises important questions:
- Will Canada’s intelligence agencies be held accountable for alleged overreach and unlawful targeting of Canadian citizens and innovators?
- Is “national security” being used as a shield to avoid scrutiny of potentially illegal conduct?
- Does the rule of law apply equally when the state itself is the defendant?
Equibit Group maintains that the evidence will ultimately speak for itself. The public documentation campaign at equibitlawsuit.com was launched precisely to ensure the full record remains transparent and cannot be buried through procedural delays or institutional opacity.
The fight for accountability continues.
