MONTREAL - A lawyer for hockey great Guy Lafleur argued Thursday that a warrant issued for his arrest was illegal and that the case against him should be thrown out.

Lafleur, 57, was charged with obstruction of justice, but his lawyer said authorities violated Lafleur's rights by issuing the arrest warrant.

Lafleur's lawyer called for the charges to be thrown out, claiming abusive behaviour by police, prosecutors and a judge in placing the former Montreal Canadiens player under arrest.

The charges are related to an incident involving Lafleur's 23-year-old son Mark, who pleaded guilty in June to 14 charges including uttering death threats, forcible confinement and assault.

The accusations stem from a tumultuous relationship his son had with a 14-year-old girl, who is now 19.

Lafleur agreed to supervise his son after Mark Lafleur was awarded bail and to ensure he abided by a court-ordered curfew.

But it was later revealed the elder Lafleur actually drove his son to a hotel so he could spend time with a girlfriend.

Lafleur's lawyer, Louis Belleau, said his client has lost confidence in the justice system.

"Fair play and decency, that is what is at the centre of the Charter of Rights and that is what unfortunately was ignored in this case," Belleau said.

The Crown argued it was well within its rights to issue the warrant and that authorities went out of their way to protect Lafleur's privacy, given his high standing in Quebec society.

Crown prosecutor Lori-Renee Weitzman said there was never any bad faith on the part of the authorities and decisions that were made were the right ones.

"It was the right and perhaps the only way to proceed in this case," Weitzman said.

Weitzman said making a false statement before the courts is a serious offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

She said great pains were taken to ensure Lafleur's privacy was respected. That included allowing him to turn himself in at his convenience rather than arrest him at his home.

The Crown also took issue with Lafleur's "detention," which lasted about 15 minutes.

"He wasn't handcuffed, he was never put in a cell," Weitzman said.

"He was treated with courtesy to the point that he thanked the (officer investigating his case)."

Lafleur was upset when police charged him last January, but when he heard word of the warrant, he was particularly sickened.

"I don't know anybody who gets an arrest warrant and isn't a criminal," Lafleur testified in November.

"I don't consider myself a criminal. It's very hard to live (with), even today."

Lafleur said he was particularly humiliated by the phone calls he received from people in Los Angeles, Florida and Italy after "Lafleur Wanted" headlines appeared in the international media.

Lafleur has launched a civil suit against the police and the Crown.

Mark Lafleur is to be sentenced in February.