Civil Rights Group Successful in Lifting Media Ban on Private Prosecution
of George Bush Case

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association was successful yesterday in lifting a publication ban imposed in the case of a private prosecution of George Bush for allegedly counseling, aiding, and abetting the commission of torture in connection with Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The private prosecution was brought by Gail Davidson of Lawyers Against the War, which also argued against the ban.

In August, the B.C. Supreme Court granted a continuation of an earlier publication ban on the proceedings and granted the BCCLA intervenor status to argue against the ban. In September, the Association made preliminary arguments contesting the rationale for applying the publication ban and the Provincial Crown subsequently withdrew its application for the ban. The ban was lifted yesterday by Madam Justice Satanove.

The Association argued that the publication ban stifled public debate without advancing the public interest. Jason Gratl, President of the BCCLA: "Our purpose was to invigorate the debate about Canada's complicity in torture. Canada must decide whether it will run with the lawless crowd of countries prepared to engage in torture and rely on information derived from torture. Despite the efforts of the Ministry of the Attorney General, the Court ordered that the public has a right to know about the attempt to prosecute George Bush for torture".