CAJ delighted court takes step to help journalist protect source

OTTAWA, Oct. 23 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists is pleased the Supreme Court of Canada has defended a journalist's ability to protect confidential sources who come forward with information in the public interest.

The Supreme Court judgment released Friday allows the Globe and Mail and its journalist Daniel Leblanc's commitment to not identify a confidential informant known only as "MaChouette" to be retried in a trial court. The Supreme Court said the Globe could keep MaChouette's identity confidential, but would have to convince the lower court it was in the public interest.

Le Groupe Polygone Editeurs Inc. has been fighting the Globe in court to force Leblanc to reveal the person's identity as part of its defence in a $35-million federal lawsuit related to the sponsorship scandal. Leblanc's reporting using the confidential source helped expose the sponsorship scandal.

"We applaud the Supreme Court for this judgment, which lays out conditions under which a journalist's offer to protect the identity of a source can be tested and upheld by the courts," CAJ president Mary Agnes Welch said. "This helps Canadians by providing whistleblowers with some legal precedent to protect them when they help bring important information to light about our governments and businesses."

The CAJ is Canada's largest professional organization for journalists from all media, representing about 800 members across the country. The CAJ's primary roles are to provide high-quality professional development for its members and public-interest advocacy.

For further information: Mary Agnes Welch, CAJ president, [phone], 204-470-8862; Bilingual/bilingue: Hugo Rodrigues, CAJ vice-president, [phone] cell