In my opinion, the bill will make it possible to protect reporters, sources and the public, and eliminate the uncertainty associated with the fact that courts of law, here and there, and at any time, will be in a position to decide when journalists will or will not be compelled to reveal their sources. We believe that defining and setting out in much clearer legislation the parameters that everyone will have to abide by is a protection—a guarantee. I believe that this bill will mean that journalists will be asked less often to reveal their sources in front of a court. So, for both the public and the sources, there is something here that is more reassuring.
As I said earlier, even if a journalist appears before a court, but is ultimately not compelled to reveal his sources, it seems to me that, in each case, that carries with it some risk as well as the concern that this could ultimately undermine the public's confidence in journalists. People could thus become increasingly reluctant to provide information to journalists that is in the public interest, something that would clearly penalize society as a whole.
In our opinion, the main merit of this legislation is its ability to avoid unnecessary risks and make the rules clear. Of course, a judge will still be required to arbitrate, but I think that, in many cases, it will be possible to avoid the temptation to call on journalists, or seize their material, and so on. In that regard, I did not cite all the examples I had in mind earlier.
In April of 2000, the premises of both Radio-Canada and TVA were searched because broadcasters had filmed a demonstration where windows had been broken. The police officer, Roger Roy, a technician with the SPCUM's identity service, was on site at the time of the demonstration and recorded the events on a video camera. For obvious security reasons, he was not able to get close to the demonstrators. So, because the police officer had not been able to adequately do his job, because it was too dangerous a situation for him, journalists were asked to do it instead. That is the kind of situation we are hoping to be able to avoid.