Key transcripts that led to Project South probe will remain under publication ban, Ontario Superior Court rules

From left, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw joins York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween and Deputy Chief Ryan Hogan to announce the results of Project South in Aurora, Ont., on Feb. 5. Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press

Transcripts of key recordings that led to the Project South takedown will remain under a publication ban, after an Ontario Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday that inflammatory comments attributed to a Toronto police officer charged in the corruption case would “deeply offend” the public and create an indelible impression on potential jurors.

The ruling is in response to an application by The Globe and Mail and other media outlets to make public more than 500 pages of court documents and warrant applications that were unsealed earlier this year. Those files included what are known as information to obtain documents, which investigators use to get judicial authorization to conduct searches and make arrests.