CBC loses court bid to block press from harassment hearing involving its own manager
The public broadcaster was attempting to shield itself from scrutiny and prevent reporting on a hearing involving one of its own managers.
The CBC has lost a bid in Québec Superior Court to block rival journalists from reporting on a hearing involving one of its own managers disciplined for workplace misconduct—despite the state broadcaster’s long history of advocating for open courts.
As first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, Justice Ian Demers dismissed the CBC’s attempt to impose a publication ban on the arbitration hearing, calling it a clear overreach.
“Open courts are strongly presumed,” Demers ruled. “The exception required proof. If the party requested a closed hearing based on general arguments, the request must be rejected.”
At the centre of the dispute was a CBC producer who, according to court records, was found by an independent investigation to have engaged in workplace harassment. He was suspended without pay for a month. His union, the Directors’ Association, filed a grievance, prompting CBC lawyers to seek sweeping confidentiality measures to shield the identities of those involved.
.@CBC loses Court application for publication ban on internal misconduct by a producer, reversing longstanding advocacy of the "open court principle." https://t.co/YY1Pj2OPvi #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/vbArQsFrYz
— Blacklock's Reporter (@mindingottawa) July 2, 2025
Justice Demers flatly rejected the rationale. “The threshold is high,” he said, emphasizing that inconvenience or embarrassment does not justify secrecy.
Ironically, the CBC has a documented track record of fighting for courtroom transparency. It has been a lead plaintiff in cases seeking access to military tribunals, disciplinary hearings, and even Supreme Court proceedings. In 2018, CBC lawyers argued that “freedom of the press should only be limited... when such an order is necessary to prevent a serious risk to the proper administration of justice.”
DISGUSTING: CBC brags about shutting down an independent news outlet in headline then changes it because of how bad it made them look.
— ⭕️ Kat Hemsley (@KatKanada_TM) May 31, 2025
You do NOT hate these state-funded propagandists enough. @ezralevant @RebelNewsOnline pic.twitter.com/jG247lkBss
Yet in this case, the broadcaster claimed a ban was needed to protect privacy, reputations, and the integrity of internal harassment mechanisms.
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Alberta Bureau Chief for Rebel News and host of the weekly The Gunn Show with Sheila Gunn Reid. She's a mother of three, conservative activist, and the author of best-selling books including Stop Notley.
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