Maclean's joins the battle

Here is the affidavit of Maclean's reporter Charlie Gillis; and here is Maclean's legal argument (called a factum). There is nothing extraordinary about these two documents. What is extraordinary is that Maclean's is doing this at all. It's the first mainstream, well-heeled Canadian media organization to dig into this story on the reporting side -- and to put some of Rogers' considerable resources into removing CHRC roadblocks.

I've read too many HRC rulings and other transcripts, and let's just say the kids who got the A's and B's in law school don't go work for human rights commissions. Enter Maclean's lawyer, Julian Porter, Q.C., probably the biggest name in Canadian media law. Here's his delightful campaign brochure for his election as a bencher to the Law Society of Upper Canada. He should be able to plow Maclean's way into the hearing.

But if not, well, I can't think of anything that would make Maclean's even more eager to expose the shenanigans of the HRCs than that. In fact, having their application dismissed would prove the point -- that these are secretive, rogue courts -- wouldn't it?