Category / Law and ethics

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The upside of Harper’s press restrictions

NewsOttawa (July 30, 2007) — One year after relations between the Parliamentary Press Gallery and the Harper government hit rock bottom, some observers see signs that restrictions on media access to politicians…
Proposed U.S. shield law moves forward

NewsAug. 1, 2007 – The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee has voted in favor of an amended federal shield law that would protect newsgatherers who derive “financial gain or livelihood” from…
Wanted: Libel law for a digital age

CommentaryMumsnet, a community website where women give advice, support and friendship, has apologized to a controversial childcare guru who sued over disparaging comments posted by some of its users. Mumsnet co-founder Justine…
Libel-proofing CAR investigations

Tip SheetNumbers don’t lie – or do they? The conclusions drawn from a computer-assisted reporting (CAR) investigation could be incorrect or tarnish the reputation of a person or company. Making sure the…
Press freedom eroded in ’06

Nearly two-thirds of the Earth’s population live in places where the press is not free or only partly free, according to the annual global survey of press freedom released by the New…
‘Public’ file anything but: Access denied in dog photo case

CommentaryA routine request for a photo of a dog found in a court file shows how secretive Canada’s courts can be, says Toronto Star legal affairs reporter Tracey Tyler. It also raises…
Bloc moves to protect journalists’ sources

NewsSerge Menard, a Bloc Quebecois MP and former journalist, has proposed a shield law to protect the identities of journalists’ confidential sources. Bill C-426, introduced on April 17, 2007, would amend the…
Ontario limits access to court documents

NewsOntario’s Ministry of the Attorney General is restricting access to court documents that reveal the name of an alleged victim of a sexual offence, citing a 2005 Criminal Code amendment that forbids…
Terror suspects’ complaints banned

NewsAn Ontario judge has imposed a publication ban that prevents a group of terror suspects from exposing the conditions they face in solitary confinement. The men want to have their habeas corpus…
Libel suits put online free speech at risk

CommentaryA pair of recently filed defamation suits have the potential to reshape free speech on the Internet in Canada, Internet law expert Michael Geist warns in this Ottawa Citizen commentary published on…