Montreal newspaper tries to have warrants against journalist quashed

 Le Journal de Montreal has filed three motions asking Superior Court to quash warrants that led to a raid on the home of reporter Eric Yvan Lemay.

Police seized several items from Lemay's home south of Montreal on March 15 after Le Journal published his investigation into unsecured medical files at four area hospitals.

The newspaper and Lemay say the provincial police force's request to obtain three search warrants was unreasonable.

The motion adds that Judge Suzanne Paradis should never have granted the warrants.

"We submit to the court that there were no reasonable grounds to believe an offence had been committed," Quebecor lawyer Bernard Pageau said.

Lemay's Feb. 9 story said private medical documents were left in full view of passersby at three Montreal hospitals and one facility east of the city.

Photographs of some of the files were published with the story along with a summary of the type of information that Lemay was able to obtain.