Gouzenko: Sentences

CANADA'S RIGHTS MOVEMENT: A HISTORY

Introduction Chronology Key Figures Sentences Primary Documents Further Reading

Introduction Primary Documents

Introduction Primary Documents The Sixties: An Overview The Seventies: An Overview

Gouzenko and the Espionage Commission Biographies Rights Associations October Crisis (1970) Human Rights: Theory Human Rights: Canadian History

Human Rights Organizations External Research Tools Canadian History Sites Historical Internet Sites Academic Journals: Human Rights Academic Journals: History

Gouzenko

October Crisis Special Joint Committee on the Constitution (1980-1) Rights Associations External Resources

Commission's Final Report Political Cartoons

Spy Trials: Sentences

Below is a brief summary of the results of the spy trials which took place between March 1946 and March 1947. Some individuals were charged with violating the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and others were charged with conspiracy to violate the OSA. Because conspiracy was easier to prove in court than a direct violation of the OSA, individuals were charged with conspiracy when prosecutors had mostly circumstantial evidence. Detailed biographical data on each suspect is available in the commission's final report (a brief biographical summary is also available on this site by clicking on the names of the individual suspects). Individuals are listed according to their appearance in the commission's three reports.

First Interim Report (2 March 1946)

Accused	Charge	Sentence
Gordon Lunan	Violating the OSA	3 years
Edward W. Mazerall	Violating the OSA	3 years
Kathleen Willisher	Conspiracy to violate the OSA	5 years
Emma Woikin	Conspiracy to violate the OSA	4 years

Second Interim Report (14 March 1946)

Accused	Charge	Sentence
Raymond Boyer	Conspiracy to violate the OSA	2 years
Harold S. Gerson	Violating the OSA	5 years
Matt S. Nightingale	Conspiracy to violate the OSA	acquitted
David Shugar	Conspiracy to violate the OSA	acquitted

Third Interim Report (28 March 1946)

Accused	Charge	Sentence
Eric Adams	Violating the OSA	acquitted
J.S. Benning	Violating the OSA	acquitted on appeal
Israel Halperin	Violating the OSA	acquitted
Fred W. Poland	Violating the OSA	acquitted
Durnford Smith	Conspiracy to violate the OSA	5 years

Final Report (27 June 1946)

Accused	Charge	Sentence
Agatha Chapman	Conspiracy to violate the OSA	acquitted
Freda Linton	Never charged.	3 years
S. S. Burman	Never charged
Fred Rose	Conspiracy to violate the OSA	6 years
Sam Carr	Conspiracy to obtain a false passport.	6 years

Research
Recent publications on the history of human rights in Canada, and a contact list of Canadian researchers .

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Last Updated:
22-Aug-2007

21-Jul-2008