Black Watch: Today’s Top Stories

Sukonick and Rogers differed on whether Hollinger International needed to disclose to the SEC the fact that Black et al. benefited directly from non-compete payments in the CanWest deal. Responding to Sukonick’s characterization of the issue as “dead,” Rogers retorted, “We didn’t think this was a close call.” In legalese, that’s a repudiation of biblical proportion. What these conflicting views mean for Black is hard to say. What’s certain is what this is doing for Torys’ reputation. (The answer: not so much.) At the end of Sukonick’s 12 hours of taped testimony, one juror was reported to have turned to a mate and said “Thank God”—sentiments echoed, I suspect, in corner offices throughout Torys.

Defence takes aim at Black prosecutor [Toronto Star]Sukonick’s advice ‘just plain wrong’: lawyer [National Post] Lawyer attacks prosecution witness’s testimony [Globe and Mail]