Publication ban

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A publication ban is a court order which prohibits the public or media from disseminating certain details of an otherwise public judicial proceeding. In Canada, publication bans are most commonly issued when the safety or reputation of a victim or witness may be hindered by having their identity openly broadcast in the press. They are also commonly issued when the crime involves minors or is sexual in nature.

In countries where press freedom is the norm, an actual ban on publication is used mostly for ongoing court cases where publicity may affect the case, although in Canada the balance has tilted away from disclosure since the passage in 1985 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Ontario).