Judge issues written decision keeping police informant’s lawsuit in camera

HALIFAX – A Nova Scotia judge has issued his written decision refusing a CBC motion to allow some portions of a police informer’s lawsuit against two Halifax police officers to be open to the public.

Justice Jamie Campbell’s ruling says a man with the pseudonym John Doe is entitled to a civil action held entirely in secret against constables Gary Basso and Ashley Lewis.

He rejected the public broadcaster’s arguments that having the informant testify from a different location would provide sufficient protection of his identity.

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge also says he didn’t believe the informant would be sufficiently protected if media is allowed to be present and interpret what evidence they could report on without revealing the identity of the plaintiff.

He wrote that this would make the media the guardians of the informant’s identity, and that the responsibility of preserving the safety of an informant ultimately lies with the judge.

Campbell gave his oral decision over a week ago, and it was published on Thursday.