Canadian Court Orders Publication Ban on Internet URLs

A trial judge in a high profile multiple murder case in Vancouver has imposed an innovative media ban in order to keep information from potential jury members. The Robert Pickton murder case has already received a great deal of publicity during the preliminary hearing phase. Pickton has been charged with the murders of 27 women and the trial is expected to begin in early 2006. Although Judge James Williams of the BC Supreme Court felt that the risk of exposure by jury members to information revealed at the preliminary hearing was not high, out of caution, he issued a ruling prohibiting publication or broadcast by any means, including via the Internet, of information that would identify web site URLs or other sources where the prohibited information might be found. For a news story from The Globe and Mail newspaper, see: http://tinyurl.com/dmtpb Summary by: The Editor