Ted Finn

Thomas D'Arcy "Ted" Finn (c. 1939 – December 20, 2007) was the first director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), serving from 1984 until 1987. He "resigned in disgrace" after it was revealed that CSIS had filed an "inaccurate and misleading" affidavit to acquire a warrant for a wiretap.

Born in Ottawa, he received a law degree from the University of Ottawa. Finn worked as a criminal lawyer and assistant Crown prosecutor before serving as assistant secretary to the federal cabinet for security and intelligence matters during the 1970s.

Finn was Director when 156 wiretaps related to the Air India bombing were erased. Justice Ian Josephson described the erasures as "unacceptable negligence". Of the 210 related wiretaps that were recorded by CSIS, 156 were erased. These tapes continued to be erased according to CSIS policy even after the alleged terrorists had become the primary suspects in the bombing. CSIS claims the wiretaps contained no relevant information. A memo from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) disputes this, stating that "There is a strong likelihood that had CSIS retained the tapes between March and August 1985, that a successful prosecution of at least some of the principals in both bombings could have been undertaken."

Finn resigned as Director of CSIS in 1987, accepting responsibility for the court-filing of an error-ridden and unsubstantiated affidavit in support of a wiretap in relation to the attempted murder of Malkiat Singh Sidhu.

After his resignation, he returned to private practice.

Bombing of Air India Flight 182
Perpetrators
  • Babbar Khalsa militants
  • Ripudaman Singh Malik * Ajaib Singh Bagri * Inderjit Singh Reyat * Manmohan Singh * Daljit Sandhu
  • Talwinder Singh Parmar
  • Surjan Singh Gill
  • Hardial Singh Johal
Victims
  • Yelavarthy Nayudamma
CSIS agents and
informants involved
  • Ted Finn
  • James S. Warren
  • Mel Deschenes
  • Santokh Bagga
Inquiry and trial
judges
  • Ian Josephson
  • John C. Major
  • Patrick Dohm
Related topics
  • Failed bombing of Air India Flight 301
  • Kim Bolan
  • Timeline
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Directors Chiefs Agents Informants Related agencies
  • Ted Finn
  • Reid Morden
  • Ray Protti
  • Ward P.D. Elcock
  • Dale Neufeld
  • Jim Judd
  • Richard Fadden
  • Jack Hooper
  • Luc Portelance
  • R. Andrew (Andy) Ellis
  • Bob Gordon
  • Jean-Claude Boton
  • Eva Plunkett
  • James S. Warren
  • Mel Deschenes
  • Michel Juneau-Katsuya
  • David B. Harris
  • David Ayre
  • John Farrell
  • Raymond Kobzey
  • Willy Laurie
  • Santokh Bagga
  • Grant Bristow
  • Surjan Singh Gill°
  • Jim Moses
  • Mubin Shaikh
  • Shaher Elsohemy
  • Communications Security Establishment
  • Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams
  • Target Approval and Review Committee

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