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Supreme Court of Canada Rules on Vice Media Case

On November 30, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled on a dispute between Vice Media Canada Inc. and the Crown.

The court weighed a journalist’s interest in protecting his communications with a source and the RCMP’s interest in investigating crime.

The court unanimously upheld an earlier decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal.

Reporter Ben Makuch must surrender his communications with Farah Mohamed Shirdon, an accused terrorist, to the RCMP.

Read the full judgment here:

https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/17398/index.do

 

REPORTAGE

Catherine Tunney of CBC News reports:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/supreme-court-vice-ben-makush-decision-1.4926102

 

CBC Radio reports:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-friday-edition-1.4927627/court-ruling-on-vice-reporter-s-chats-could-cause-chilling-effect-says-lawyer-1.4927631

 

Jim Bronskill of the Canadian Press reports:

http://j-source.ca/article/vice-reporter-must-give-rcmp-material-about-accused-terrorist-rules-supreme-court/

 

In The Globe and Mail, Simon Houpt reports:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-states-interest-in-prosecuting-crime-outweighs-the-medias-right-to/

 

In the National Observer, Carl Meyer reports:

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2018/11/30/news/vice-medias-ben-makuch-loses-press-freedom-case-supreme-court

 

Andrew Russell of Global News reports:

https://globalnews.ca/news/4716145/supreme-court-vice-media-decision/

 

In the Toronto Star, Alyshah Hasham reports:

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2018/11/30/vice-media-reporter-must-give-rcmp-material-about-accused-terrorist-supreme-court.html

 

In Canadian Lawyer, Elizabeth Raymer reports:

https://www.canadianlawyermag.com/author/elizabeth-raymer/framework-for-media-production-orders-stands-with-some-refinement-scc-16556/

 

The Independent reports:

https://www.independent.co.ug/canada-top-court-rules-against-journalist-protecting-source/

 

Rachel Browne of Vice News reports:

https://news.vice.com/en_ca/article/qvqzvv/supreme-court-rules-against-vice-in-press-freedom-battle-against-the-rcmp

 

In Britain, the BBC reports:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46325573

Al Jazeera News reports:

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/canada-court-rules-vice-journalist-hand-isil-notes-181201062225748.html

 

 

COMMENTARY

 

Vice editorializes:

https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/d3bxy7/this-is-a-dark-day-for-press-freedom

 

In The Globe and Mail, Alexandra Ellerbeck comments:

 

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-canada-isnt-the-leader-on-press-freedoms-that-we-think-we-are/

 

In The Signal, Stacey Seward writes:

https://signalhfx.ca/canada-finally-has-a-source-protection-law-is-it-enough/

 

Cara Faith Zwibel of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association comments:

https://ccla.org/vice-media-decision-might-mean-press-freedom/?fbclid=IwAR0NKtHDNbLCzQMAyJzgScAnTrkPk8jSin-mfW_T8u2hohTpLVabQDfxU60

 

The Canadian Association of Journalists and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression comment:

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/the-supreme-court-strikes-a-blow-against-press-freedom-caj-and-cjfe-701653071.html

 

The Committee to Protect Journalists comments:

https://cpj.org/2018/11/canadas-supreme-court-rules-against-vice-media-rep.php