Montreal media pens open letter asking for more transparency from Quebec courts after ‘ghost trial’ revelation

Montreal’s media has penned an open letter to the province’s courts asking for more transparency after a so-called “ghost trial” took place entirely in secret.

The letter was signed by 15 Montreal news organizations, including CityNews Montreal supervising producer Melanie Porco. The effort was spearheaded by La Presse.

The full list of signatories is below.

It is addressed to judges of the Quebec Court, Superior Court, Court of Appeal and the province’s justice minister.

READ: Quebec justice minister seeks answers on criminal trial that occurred with ‘no trace’

A trial involving a police informant allegedly took place in Quebec but was kept off the official court docket. Those involved say the proceedings were kept secret in order to protect the identity of the informant.

The outlets involved in penning the letter, which urging the province’s judicial system to be more transparent, agree keeping a trial secret is “unacceptable.”

“How can such an act of deception have taken place in 2021? Or was in 2022? Unfortunately, the public does not even know the dates during which the process took place.

“Though it’s well established that transparency is one of the cornerstones of our justice system.”

The letter claims the mere existence of a “ghost trial” undoes several centuries of democratic progress.

It also points to a recent rise in requests that judicial proceedings not be made public.

“It unfortunately seems that Quebec courts have given more and more importance to these exceptions, gradually eroding the principle of judicial transparency. In this sense, the “ghost trial” uncovered last week is the logical conclusion of this shift.”

The media outlets that signed the letter are asking for an in-depth review of the practices of Quebec courts and criminal prosecutors with regard to making information in judicial proceedings public.

“The media have a role in informing the public and are therefore well placed to actively contribute to this process. Together, we will be able to find solutions promoting the publicizing of legal proceedings and the public’s right to information.”

Last year members of the Montreal media also combined to write a letter urging the province grant journalists access to hospitals to depict the COVID-19 situation in health-care settings.

Signatories of the letter (alphabetic order):

• Éric Brousseau, Le Droit
• François Cardinal, La Presse
• Helen Evans, CBC Quebec
• Brodie Fenlon, CBC News
• Hugo Fontaine, La Tribune
• Stéphan Frappier, Le Nouvelliste
• Julie-Christine Gagnon, 98.5, Cogeco Media
• Luce Julien, Société Radio-Canada
• Lenie Lucci, Montreal Gazette
• Karen Macdonald, Global News Montreal
• Christian Malo, La Voix de l’Est
• Melanie Porco, CityNews Montreal
• Geneviève Rossier, The Canadian Press (French service)
• Marc St-Hilaire, Le Quotidien
• Éric Trottier, Le Soleil