No public right to know

The judge hearing a political corruption case in British Columbia approved a prosecutor’s application for an in-camera session as part of the pre-trial process, reported the Canadian Press: “Justice Elizabeth Bennett of B.C. Supreme Court granted the request by special prosecutor Bill Berardino to close the court to the public and reporters while she hears the Crown’s argument regarding a question of privilege.”

Arguments that the court should be open to media, made by lawyers for news organizations, failed to sway the judge. As usual in such cases, the media can’t even report on what would be talked about in the session, because of a publication ban.