It has been a rare day of political scaredy-cat-ism thoughout the realm that could be called the poli-blogs of Canada. Within 24 hours of a few posts like mine on Sunday morning there were some amazingly dimwitted calls for the defence of democracy [Ed.: “toot-ta-tooooo!!!” go the horns!!! To the pea and asparagus harvesters, everyone!!!] because a commission judge ordered a publication ban. Throughout every legal system – even in the USA – there are plenty of instances of secrecy: US grand jury, Canadian trial jury, judicial privilege, solicitor-client privilege, settlement privilege, etc., etc. Some see sense – some know fear – some are just a wee bit off near the end. A publication ban to protect the fairness of a future trial is part of the same continuum and has existed for as long as we have been free. Society works because we have courts and courts work because we have lots of secrets – short term, long term, in theory or enforced by jail time. It is the way the world works…except no one told half the bloggers.
I think it has to do more with the change of the clocks for spring. Some people need a nap.
Update: How could I have been so horribly wrong. Here they are taking Jim Elve, ringleader at Blogs Canada away. Oh well.
Make sure the guys know where to
send the cookies…