JournalismPakistan.com | Published 8 years ago
Join our WhatsApp channel
BRUSSELS - The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes new Canadian law protecting confidential sources of journalists that was approved on 18 October.
Canada adopted a new law on October 18 that strengthens the protection of journalists’ sources. The IFJ joined its affiliates in Canada UNIFOR and CWA in welcoming a legislation that is “of a great importance for the journalism community, their sources and the public at large”.
Both House of Commons and Canadian Senate voted in favor of the Journalistic Source Protection Act, Bill S-231, which despite some loopholes, introduces important safeguards for whistleblowers who inform journalists about cases of corruption and other cases that damage the public interest.
The new law shifts the burden of proof in applications involving journalists and police services which concern the importance of revealing or protecting a confidential source. According to the law, a journalist is no longer obliged to convince a court to protect the confidentiality of her sources.
Instead, police services will have to demonstrate why there is a need to disclose the identity of a journalistic source. If police officers do not find other means to obtain information, a judge of the higher court will decide whether the police has a right to ask for the journalists’ source’s identity and accordingly.
In cases where the judge issues the warrant or production order to disclose the source, a journalist has 10 days to oppose the order and explain why the confidentiality of the source must be protected.
However, journalists’ organizations point to one major criticism of the law in that some categories of journalists will fall outside the protection which could challenge the confidentially of their sources.
“These changes in Canadian law are of great importance for the journalism community, their sources and the public at large. The protection of journalistic sources is a core journalistic principle enshrined in our Declaration of Principles. It is a prerequisite to a free and independent press and ensures that journalists have access to information, including the ones that reveal cases of corruption and government wrongdoings. It is in the citizens’ interests that the protection of journalists’ sources is truly respected. We welcome this big step forward in Canada,” said the IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger. - IFJ media release
October 30, 2025: The PFUJ has condemned a fabricated drug case against journalist Matiullah Jan, calling it an attempt to silence him and urging authorities to quash the charges immediately.
October 30, 2025: NewsOne TV remains on air but faces mass layoffs and delayed salaries, exposing Pakistan’s worsening media crisis and financial instability.
October 28, 2025: Sindh Police arrested four suspects linked to a banned outfit in the murder of journalist Imtiaz Mir, who was shot in Karachi in September 2025.
October 26, 2025: Riffat Ara Alvi, the mother of slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif, has died, ending her relentless fight for justice following his killing in Kenya in 2022.
October 25, 2025: Veteran journalists and rights activists urge authorities to quash the fabricated drug case against Matiullah Jan, calling it an attack on media freedom.
October 24, 2025: PTV journalist Najam Wali Khan faces social media backlash after calling late SP Adeel Akbar a coward and a fool following his alleged suicide in Islamabad.
October 24, 2025: JournalismPakistan.com celebrates 16 years of independent reporting and media insight. Founded in 2009, the platform has weathered censorship, cyberattacks, and financial pressures to remain a trusted space for all who love and follow the media.
October 23, 2025: PFUJ calls for the immediate appointment of an ITNE judge, warning of a serious case backlog affecting journalists and media workers seeking justice across Pakistan.
October 30, 2025 PSL franchise fees lag far behind IPL's USD 18.5B valuation as Pakistan Cricket Board's bureaucratic grip stifles growth. Hard numbers expose a stark reality.
October 30, 2025 India’s government has proposed strict new rules mandating the labelling of AI-generated and deepfake media to curb misinformation and ensure content authenticity on social platforms.
October 30, 2025 Vietnamese authorities seize BBC journalist’s passport amid interrogation, sparking outrage as Hanoi leader To Lam visits the UK. Rights groups urge her release.
October 30, 2025 CDEPS and CPJ condemn the arrest of 7TV’s Maimouna Ndour Faye and other journalists in a late October crackdown on Senegalese media over interviews with a wanted politician.
October 29, 2025 In a historic first, a Bishkek court declares Kloop, Temirov Live, and their founders extremist, marking Kyrgyzstan’s sharpest assault on press freedom under President Japarov.