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Journalist's Freedoms Under Attack!
By Maurice Ali, Journalist
At 8:00Am on the 21, January; a Canadian reporter by the name of Juliet O'Neil was served search warrants and had her office and home searched by the RCMP for five and a half hours. All this as a result of an investigation by the RCMP in leaks at that organization with regard to her reporting in the Maher Arar case on November 8, 2003. O'Neil was accompanied by her lawyer Wendy Montgomery during the search.
All this has raised the question of the confidentiality of sources for journalists in the performance of their duties, and freedoms afforded the press in general. I will leave this post open for others to chime in as this impacts several members directly. A formal statement from our organization will be made later today that will conform to other journalistic associations as we are one in this cause.
"The IAIJ unanimously condemn the actions of the RCMP in the execution of it's search warrants against the office and home of Juliet O'Neil. We feel that these actions are unconstitutional, and that the Press is afforded protections against search and seizure with regard to confidential sources used in the performance of their duties. The sanctity of these protections has been upheld in our courts, as recently as the very day of O'Neil's search of her home and office."
Maurice Ali
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