FC: Canada bans news of bail hearing, but it appears online anyway

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

Canada has fairly repressive rules governing reporting on certain court 
proceedings. This has some predictable effects: For instance, because news 
will travel through word of mouth instead, the facts will likely become 
garbled. It also means that Canadians will turn to the Internet for 
information and discussion.

This happened most famously in the Karla Homulka case, ably chronicled by 
Michael Froomkin at:
http://www.law.miami.edu/~froomkin/articles/arbitr.htm#xtocid1583411

Now the Canadian media is reporting that a similar thing is happening in a 
high-profile Air India case, but they say laws ban them from revealing the 
URL of the web site. A preliminary Usenet and google search turns up 
nothing; if anyone knows what it is, please send it along.

-Declan

**********

http://www.globetechnology.com/archive/gam/News/20010213/UAIRRNSB.html

   Forbidden Air-India details posted on Internet
   Web site reveals information on suspects'
   bail hearing, despite ban on publication

   ROBERT MATAS
   With a report from Steven Chase
   Tuesday, February 13, 2001

   VANCOUVER -- An Internet Web site is carrying explicit information
   about the case against two Air-India suspects, although a British
   Columbia court imposed a ban on publication.

   Canadian media are prohibited from reporting any evidence, information
   or representations made during a five-day bail hearing for suspects
   Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri.

   In a direct challenge to the court's authority, the Web site describes
   information presented at the hearing and questions the evidence.

   Welcome to the age of the Internet, legal observers said yesterday.
   [...]

   The Web site is dedicated to soliciting support for Inderjit Singh
   Reyat, who has been identified by prosecutors and police as a third
   [...]


Background:
http://www.corazon.com/AirIndiaflight182trialnews.html
http://canadanews.about.com/aboutcanada/canadanews/library/weekly/aa102700a.htm




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