Castanet reporter faces criminal charge for publishing banned info

KELOWNA – A reporter for Okanagan news outlet Castanet is facing a criminal charge for allegedly violating a publication ban.

Nicholas Raymond Johansen is charged with one count of failing to comply with a court order, although the details of the case are not yet clear.

The charge specifies that a discretionary court order was made banning information that could identify a witness on June 6, 2018 and alleging the information was published the same day.

It does not specify the order, the article or how it failed to comply.

Johansen was not immediately available for comment and Castanet news director Jon Manchester declined to specify.

Manchester declined any further opportunity to comment publicly.

The article itself either appears to have been deleted or altered.

Canadian courts often issues bans on the publication of certain information presented in court, often mandatory in the case of information that could identify minors or victims of sexual assault. The orders of provincial court judge Richard Hewson were discretionary. 

Johansen was scheduled for a first appearance today, Jan. 24. 

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