Criminal libel charges against Fredericton blogger Charles LeBlanc have been dropped.

 Criminal libel charges against Fredericton blogger Charles LeBlanc have been dropped.


"Following an extensive review of case law, it is clear that other jurisdictions have found this section to be unconstitutional," the provincial government said in a statement on Friday.


"Though we are not bound by those decisions, the legal principles found within are quite sound and it is highly unlikely that any court in New Brunswick would come to a contrary decision," the government said.




"We have advised the Fredericton Police Force we are of the opinion that section 301 is unconstitutional and that the matter against Mr. LeBlanc cannot be approved."


LeBlanc was charged last September under section 301 of the Criminal Code, which relates to criminal libel.


He was accused of damaging the reputation of a city police officer in blog posts last summer.


Last month, six University of New Brunswick professors sent a letter to Attorney General Marie-Claude Blais saying they thought the case would not result in a conviction and was not in the public interest.



http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/05/04/nb-charles-leblanc-charges-dropped.html