Court rules against police chief on hearing closure
Last Updated: Friday, May 18, 2007 | 2:12 PM MT
CBC News
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A Calgary judge has ruled that police Chief Jack Beaton did not adhere to the principles of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms when he chose to close a disciplinary hearing to the public.
Court of Queen's Bench judge Sheila Martin made the ruling in favour of CBC News and the Calgary Herald on Friday.
Matt Woodley, the lawyer representing CBC, said the court ruling is the first step in reopening the hearing to the public.
"The judge made it very clear that the public interest includes principles of openness and that the public ought to be allowed to see these kinds of disciplinary hearings happen, especially when it deals with the situation where the service itself is being criticized."
In 2005, Const. Taufiq Shah publicly criticized the chief on an internet website. Beaton called a disciplinary hearing into Shah's alleged misconduct.
CBC News filed an application to have a camera at the hearing, but soon after that application was made, Beaton ordered the hearing be held in private.
A neutral third party will now determine whether the disciplinary hearing will be reopened to the public.
Woodley said CBC News will continue to argue that radio and television reporters should be allowed to cover the hearing.
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