Media challenge publication ban on Lapu Lapu attack suspect’s fitness hearing

Media Consortium Challenges Publication Ban on Evidence in Vancouver Murder Case

VANCOUVER — A media consortium has challenged a publication ban on evidence at a hearing to determine if the man accused of killing 11 people at Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu Day festival is fit to stand trial.

The ban, which is supported by both prosecutors and the defence, says evidence in the British Columbia provincial court hearing is not publishable until the ban is lifted or after the end of a criminal trial.

Adam Kai-Ji Lo, who attended court by video on Tuesday wearing a blue sweatshirt, faces 11 second-degree murder charges over the ramming attack in April, when an SUV drove through a crowd at a Filipino community festival.

Media Consortium Argues for Public Interest

Lawyer Daniel Coles, representing the consortium that includes The Canadian Press, argued that lifting the ban would be in the public interest while Crown lawyer Michaela Donnelly and Lo’s defence lawyer Mark Swartz opposed lifting or altering the ban.

Coles emphasized the significance of the attack in Vancouver’s history and the public’s right to information. He stressed the importance of court openness and freedom of expression in allowing the media to report on the matter.

Balance Between Fair Trial and Open Court

Coles argued that the court must find a balance between Lo’s right to a fair trial and the principles of court openness and freedom of expression. He highlighted the need for a publication ban that is minimally invasive and can withstand Charter scrutiny.

Swartz, on the other hand, defended the publication ban, stating that it safeguards Lo’s right to a fair trial and prevents potential jury bias. He raised concerns about the risk of details from the fitness hearing tainting a jury and the admissibility of evidence in a criminal trial.

Importance of Protecting Accused’s Rights

Donnelly supported the publication ban, emphasizing the need to protect the accused’s right to a fair trial. She acknowledged the importance of the open-court principle but argued that the ban only delays publication, rather than barring it forever.

Last month, forensic psychiatrists Dr. Robert Lacroix and Dr. Rakesh Lamba testified in the fitness hearing, with their evidence remaining undisclosed due to the ban. Lo is expected to return to court when the hearing continues on Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2025.

Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press