Supreme Court Grants Partial Appeal to Media in Quebec Trial Secrecy Case
The media’s appeal regarding a “secret trial” in Quebec involving a police informant has been partially upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada.
On June 7, the high court determined that the trial judge and Quebec Court of Appeal made the correct decision in keeping certain information secret to protect the informant’s identity. This included details like the nature of the crime, location, and the judge’s name.
However, the Supreme Court noted that some parts of the legal proceedings could have been made public on the court’s docket and hearing role.
The original case centered around an informant who was convicted of involvement in a crime they had disclosed to the police.
The trial’s existence became known when the informant appealed the conviction and the Court of Appeal released a redacted decision in March 2022, criticizing the trial’s secrecy.
The Supreme Court clarified that there was no actual “secret trial” but instructed the Court of Appeal to produce a redacted version of the initial conviction that safeguards the informant’s identity while honoring the principle of open courts.
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