Dutch Minister of Justice Hirsch Balling today revealed a proposal for a new law that will provide journalists as well as bloggers and opinion leaders the legal right to protect their sources from public disclosure. The new law follows a warning issued by the European Court of Human Rights to the Dutch Public Prosecution Service after a journalist that refused to disclose a source was imprisoned. Interestingly, the Minister does not give a clear definition of a journalist, as he wants everyone who engages in public debate to have this right. This means that bloggers are now also entitled to protect their sources from public disclosure. In case their is a high public interest in disclosing a source, such as the prevention of highjacking, a judge can still order the disclosure of sources. Anyone who refuses this can still be imprisoned for a maximum of 16 days (was: 30 days).

UPDATE: According to Henk Blanken the new law does not add anything to the existing situation.