Another priest loses battle to keep his name secret

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

Terri Saunders

Tuesday, November 28, 2006 – 10:00

Local News – Another city priest has lost his battle to keep his identity secret at the Cornwall Public Inquiry.

On Monday, Comm. Normand Glaude dismissed a motion by the Alexandria-Cornwall Roman Catholic Diocese seeking a publication ban on the identity of a priest expected to be mentioned during the course of testimony at the hearings this week.

Following the ruling, lawyers for the diocese said they will seek a judicial review of the decision, so Glaude has put in place an interim publication ban on the priest’s identity until Thursday at 5 p.m. The diocese has until then to seek a stay of the ruling while it waits for the Ontario Divisional Court to review the decision.

The interim ban prevents the media from reporting the priest’s name or any identifying factors related to him.

A witness is expected to testify this week about abuse he says he suffered as a young boy in the Cornwall area in the 1960s. The media will not be permitted to publish the priest’s name and a simultaneous Internet broadcast of the hearings will be suspended for portions of witness testimony which deal with the priest in question.

The public will be permitted to attend the hearings in person at The Weave Shed. If the divisional court upholds Glaude’s ruling, the media would be permitted to then publish the priest’s identity and any information the inquiry heard about allegations made against him during testimony.

On Nov. 17, Glaude dismissed a similar motion brought forward by lawyers representing Rev. Charles MacDonald at the hearings.

Attorneys had argued subjecting unfounded allegations against the priest to public scrutiny would, in essence, revictimize MacDonald, who has always maintained his innocence. Parties opposed to the MacDonald motion argued the priest’s identity has long been public in relation to the matters which are the subject of the inquiry and suggested no significant further harm would be caused to the priest through the publication of his name.

“I cannot unscramble an egg that was scrambled many years ago,” said Glaude at the time. “The pejudice to Father MacDonald as a result of publicity is largely already done.”

Glaude did not immediately give reasons for Monday’s ruling, but said he would deliver them today.