Canadian Civil Liberties Association » Freedom of Expression

CCLA denounces drastic, broad infringements of fundamental constitutional rights in Quebec Bill 78

Abby Deshman — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:14:04 +0000

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) has severe concerns about the constitutional validity of Bill 78, which was passed by the Quebec National Assembly on May 18, 2012. The CCLA agrees that access to education and ensuring that instruction in schools, CEGEPs and universities is open and available for those who want to attend are [...]

CCLA Demands Accountability for G20 Rights Violations in light of Scathing OIPRD Report into G20 Police Conduct

Communications — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:21:12 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media contact: Penelope Chester 647.822.8764 media@ccla.org  www.ccla.org

CCLA Demands Accountability for G20 Rights Violations in light of Scathing OIPRD Report into G20 Police Conduct Calls for Immediate Action from Chief, Police Services Board

TORONTO, May 16 2012 – The Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) today released its systemic review into policing during the 2010 Toronto G20. [...]

CCLA to Montreal City Councillors: Don’t Adopt New Protest Bylaw

Communications — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:37:10 +0000

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has written to the Mayor of Montreal, and to city councillors, to express its concerns regarding the City of Montreal’s proposed adoption of amendments to a bylaw that would make it illegal to wear a mask during a public demonstration, and that would require demonstrators to provide prior notification to police authorities [...]

CCLA Reacts to Developments in Blogger Charles Leblanc Case

Communications — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:27:00 +0000

Since February 2012, CCLA has been monitoring a freedom of expression case out of New Brunswick, in which a local blogger, Charles Leblanc, had been charged with criminal libel under Section 301, a contentious provision of the Criminal Code, for comments he made about a Fredericton police officer. CCLA wrote to the Fredericton police chief [...]

Alberta Court of Appeal upholds free speech rights of students

Communications — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:46:46 +0000

Earlier this morning the Alberta Court of Appeal released its decision in the Pridgen v. University of Calgary case. The case raised questions around whether students at public universities were entitled to freedom of expression on social networking sites, for the purpose of criticizing their instructors and educational institutions. In this case, two brothers, Keith [...]

CCLA to appear before Supreme Court in “fake Facebook” case

Communications — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:56:10 +0000

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is set to appear before the Supreme Court in A.B. v. Bragg Communications Inc., a case that raises questions around the open court principle, freedom of expression, and access to justice in the context of a case involving a minor who had been cyber-bullied.

In March 2010, a youth in Nova [...]

CCLA calls on the Université du Québec en Outaouais to protect fundamental freedoms

sheetal — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:34:11 +0000

The CCLA has written a letter to the Université du Québec en Outaouais to communicate our concerns related to the arrest of Professor Thibault Martin earlier this week, and to invite the University to do everything in its power to ensure that charges brought against faculty and student participants in peaceful protests be dropped.

The CCLA [...]

Supreme Court releases decision in Ecosociété v. Banro

sheetal — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:41:49 +0000

The Supreme Court of Canada has released its decision in Les editions Ecosociété Inc, et al. v. Banro Corporation, a case in which CCLA intervened. It has dismissed publisher Ecosociété’s appeal, finding that Ontario is an appropriate forum for Banro’s defamation suit against it. Concerns had been raised that the choice to sue in Ontario [...]

CCLA asks Western University to reconsider ban for protesting

sheetal — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:04:29 +0000

CCLA has written to Western University to express concern over its apparent banning of two community members from campus. Media reports suggest that two London protestors have been banned from the university campus for one year for “participating in a prohibited activity” – that is, attending a protest on campus that was peaceful, but was [...]

Fredericton Police Chief Responds to CCLA Request for Information

sheetal — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:24:28 +0000

CCLA recently received a response from the Fredericton Chief of Police to its Request for Information under New Brunswick’s Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Following the arrest earlier this year of a Fredericton blogger in connection to comments he had made on his blog about a city police officer, CCLA wrote to Police [...]