Judge: Rest of document on Toronto Mayor Rob Ford must be released

TORONTO, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- A Canadian judge has ruled that the full text of a police document detailing illegal drug use by Toronto Mayor Rob Ford must be released to the news media.

Superior Court Justice Ian Nordheimer, in his decision Wednesday, gave the provincial attorney general until Dec. 6 to decide whether to appeal, the Toronto Star reported.

The judge was critical of the decision to redact portions of the document and said prosecutors had made only "vague" arguments for doing so.

"We are dealing with the actions of the duly elected mayor of the country's largest city and the extensive investigation undertaken by the police into those actions," Nordheimer wrote. "In terms of legal proceedings, it is hard to conceive of a matter that would be of more importance to the public interest, at this particular point in time, than the one that is presented by this case in the context in which is has unfolded."

Ford has been under fire since reports surfaced he had been videotaped smoking crack. The mayor has conceded he used illegal drugs but has refused to resign, and has said he will seek re-election.

The City Council does not have the power to remove the mayor from office but has stripped him of much of his authority. Ford faces no criminal charges as yet.