Supreme Court ruling a blow for source protection: CAJ

OTTAWA, May 7 /CNW/ - The CAJ is profoundly disappointed by a Supreme Court ruling this morning that forces a journalist to hand over documents that could reveal his confidential source.

The Supreme Court ruled this morning that former National Post reporter Andrew McIntosh must give police documents leaked to him while he was investigating the Shawinigate affair. RCMP intend to conduct forensic tests on the documents and the envelope they came in to determine who McIntosh's source is and whether the source leaked forged documents intended to discredit former Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

"This is a significant blow to every journalist's ability to protect whistleblowers who come forward with information that's in the public interest," said CAJ President Mary Agnes Welch. "We fear this will have a profound chilling effect."

The CAJ was part of a coalition of media organizations including the Canadian Newspaper Association, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, Ad IDEM/Canadian Media Lawyers Association and many others that had intervenor status in the case.

For further information: or for an interview call: CAJ President, Mary Agnes Welch: [phone]; Personne-ressource, Robert Frank (directeur): [phone]; CAJ Executive Director, John Dickins: [phone], Website: www.caj.ca