Justice Gomery Lifts the Ban (For the Most Part)

My radio is currently tuned in to CBC Radio 1. In case you're not near a radio, Justice John H. Gomery has just lifted the publication ban on Jean Brault's testimony in his inquiry on the sponsorship scandal. It's not a complete lifting; Mr. Brault's testimony concerning former bureaucrat Chuck Guité is still under wraps, because that has a direct bearing on Brault's and Guité's trial for conspiracy.

But what is now in the open is Mr. Brault's testimony on kickbacks to the federal Liberal Party's Quebec wing made by Groupaction, as reported by Captain Ed, and which is now in the hands of the mainstream media.

If you really want the primary source stuff from the Gomery inquiry, you can find the raw transcripts on the inquiry's official website, here. Bear in mind that because these are raw transcripts, translations in English may not be available. You can expect Mr. Brault's testimony (with appropriate sections blanked out) to show up here by the end of this week.

As for those threats by the Department of Justice to prosecute the bloggers who leaked Mr. Brault's testimony, I think they've got other things to worry about ...

UPDATE (8 Apr 2005 08h00): Brault's testimony for 31 March is here, and what he said on 1 April is here. The transcripts are in French only; the English versions should be up in about a week.