David Fraser blogs about a recent decision in Canada of interest:
A long-time friend of this blog just recently sent me a link to a new decision from the British Columbia Supreme Court (R. v. Pickton, 2010 BCSC 1198 ), in which the Court was asked to issue a publication ban to protect the identity of an individual witness for reasons of privacy.
The individual applicant had previously been a sex worker and drug addict. In 1997, police laid a charge against Robert Picton, alleging that he had attempted to murder her but the prosecution was discontinued. Her evidence is relevant in the current proceeding against Robert Picton. No publication ban was entered at the time of the 1997 prosecution.
Since then, the applicant has left the sex trade and is no longer a drug user. She is married, has kids and appears to be living a normal life in the lower mainland of British Columbia.
Read more about the case and court opinion on Canadian Privacy Law.