About Ted Finn
Lived 1939 – 2007 (aged 68). Ted Finn was a lawyer.
Thomas D'Arcy "Ted" Finn (July 5, 1939 – December 20, 2007) was the first director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), serving from 1984 until 1987. He resigned after it was revealed that CSIS had filed an "inaccurate and misleading" affidavit to acquire a warrant for a wiretap.
Finn was born in Ottawa and grew up in the Sandy Hill neighbourhood. He attended Lisgar Collegiate Institute and then received a law degree from the University of Ottawa. Finn was called to the bar in 1967, working 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 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.
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Important facts
People in Ted Finn's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Ted Finn?
Canadian intelligence service director (1939-2007)
When was Ted Finn born?
Ted Finn was born on 5 July 1939.
When did Ted Finn die?
Ted Finn died on 20 December 2007.
What was Ted Finn's occupation?
Ted Finn was a lawyer.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ted Finn. https://biography.guide/ted-finn/
MLA: "Ted Finn." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ted-finn/.
Chicago: "Ted Finn." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ted-finn/.
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