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Supreme Court ruling denies media outlet access to records from Quebec court case

May 28, 2021 | 9:00 AM

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada says MediaQMI journalists are not allowed access to exhibits that were once part of a Quebec court file.

The decision today comes in a case that began five years ago when a Montreal health-services centre began an action against Magdi Kamel, a former manager.

The centre claimed a sum paid to Kamel for allegedly improper expenses, along with damages, and requested an order to obtain information about him from a bank.

The Journal de Montréal newspaper, published by MediaQMI, applied for access to the Quebec Superior Court record, which contained four exhibits.

In April 2017 the centre discontinued its action against Kamel and tried to retrieve the exhibits from the court file.

The court ordered that the record be unsealed but allowed the centre’s request to retrieve the exhibits — a decision MediaQMI unsuccessfully challenged in the Quebec Court of Appeal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2021.

The Canadian Press

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