Judge gives magazine one week to reveal its sources

The Taipei District Court judge hearing Vice President Annette Lu's (呂秀蓮) libel suit against The Journalist (新新聞周報) yesterday granted another week for the magazine to reveal its sources after it failed to name key potential witnesses.

At a hearing on April 9, The Journalist told Judge Lai Yang-hua (賴泱樺) it would call three news sources as witnesses but requested a secret hearing on their testimonies. Lai then asked the magazine to present to him the names and other relevant information pertaining to the witnesses in seven days so that he could determine whether to grant the request or not.

The Journalist responded to the judge on Monday, but it did not give the names and other information requested. Lawyers for the magazine said they were anxious to protect the identities of the witnesses, and that they preferred not to provide the information in written form.

They said if the judge grants the secret hearing, they will give all the information needed to the judge at the hearing. However, the judge determined yesterday that he will not be able to make a decision without even knowing who the witnesses are and ordered The Journalist to give the required information in another seven days.

The dispute between the magazine and Lu erupted in November when The Journalist published a story accusing Lu of spreading a rumor that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was having an extra-marital affair with one of his female aides. The magazine said Lu spread the rumor in order to unseat the newly elected leader.

Lu filed a civil suit demanding a formal apology from the magazine, saying the story had caused injury to her reputation.

The Journalist claimed during the trial that its story was not the source of the scandal, and that Lu's allegations against the president had been heard before the publication of its November report.