No he did not. He gave a "direction". Which, legally, means almost nothing.
> “Going forward, consistent with the President’s direction, this Department of Justice – in a change to its longstanding practice – will not seek compulsory legal process in leak investigations to obtain source information from members of the news media doing their jobs,” Anthony Coley, Justice Department spokesman, said in a statement.
They are changing a "practice".
One uses laws to prevent practices one does not like, not "directions".
> “Going forward, consistent with the President’s direction, this Department of Justice – in a change to its longstanding practice – will not seek compulsory legal process in leak investigations to obtain source information from members of the news media doing their jobs,” Anthony Coley, Justice Department spokesman, said in a statement.
They are changing a "practice".
One uses laws to prevent practices one does not like, not "directions".