A former federal justice minister is calling for the release of 40 year old documents on former Nazi war criminals living in Canada.

Irwin Cotler is reacting to the spectacle of MPs in the House of Commons last month giving a Ukrainian war veteran a standing ovation before it was discovered Yaroslav Hunka had fought with the Nazis.

Cotler acted as council for the Deschenes Commission in 1985 which looked into some 800 war criminals who came to Canada after World War Two.

“There is evidence that needs to be made public,” Cotler explained, “We need to know the whole truth, and as I said that sunlight is the best disinfectant and best guarantor of justice for all.”

Immigration Minister Marc Miller has said that declassifying some of the records is something that could be looked at again.

Much of the Deschenes Commission’s final report was classified with entire sections redacted.