At the Jian Ghomeshi trial this morning, Iris Fischer, a lawyer representing the Toronto Star, PostMedia, CTV and Global, argued for media and public access to the photo of the first complainant in a red string bikini. (The complainant sent this photo to Ghomeshi a year after she says the assault took place; she described it as “bait” to get Ghomeshi to respond to her, so she could ask why he hit her.) Fischer put to the judge, William Horkins, that the photo “relates to credibility” and that the “public should see what you see” in order to determine whether it was in fact “bait.”
A lawyer for the complainant brought up the risk of identification; the Crown argued that releasing the photo could put a “deep freeze” on other complainants coming forward. Horkins ruled that the photo should remain sealed: It doesn’t infringe on the freedom of the press, he said, and it’s important for people to know that the courts are “gatekeepers” of their privacy.
Well done, Justice Horkins! But privacy concerns aren’t the only problem with Fischer’s argument to release the photo — it’s that a picture of the complainant in a red string bikini tells us absolutely nothing about whether she was assaulted. You know what’s just as relevant to the facts of this case? A photo of a well-composed charcuterie plate — and these nine others:
1. Well-composed charcuterie plate.
2. The Goodyear blimp.
3. Maria Sharapova in fierce form.
4. A cuddly embrace.
5. Alan Cumming’s one-man interpretation of Macbeth.
6. The art of watercolour.
7. A 1930s Welsh soldier with baby goat.
8. Katy Perry and her sharks.
9. A giant heart in an empty warehouse.
10. Ben Stiller reviving Zoolander.
Related:
The Ghomeshi Trial: Day 2
How long the trial will last
Who’s who in the courtroom