[homeles_ot-l] Freedom of Expression in Canada & Censorship in Canada (ref.: The Charter & The Rule of Law ).

[lj1967 at sympatico.ca]

FYI:  For those that might not understand the fundamental right and freedom of speech that goes hand and glove with being a Canadian.  Hope the following is useful to those that had questions on the matter.
Special Topics: Freedom of Expression in Canada. 
Section 2(b) of the Charter states that "Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: ... freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication." The section potentially could cover a wide range of action, from commercial expression to political expression; from journalistic privilege to hate speech to pornography. The jurisprudence of the Supreme Court (see links below) has largely been an attempt to carve out: first, the purpose of s. 2(b) (what values does it seek to protect, who should be entitled to its protection); and second, the scope of s. 2(b) (what is 'expression'?). 
Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of a functioning democracy. Freedom of expression promotes certain societal values, as noted by Professor Emerson in 1963: "Maintenance of a system of free expression is necessary (1) as assuring individual self-fulfillment, (2) as a means of attaining the truth, (3) as a method of securing participation by the members of the society in social, including political, decision-making, and (4) as maintaining the balance between stability and change in society." Our constitutional commitment to free speech is predicated on the belief that a free society cannot function with coercive legal censorship in the hands of persons supporting one ideology who are motivated to use the power of the censor to suppress opposing viewpoints. 
The Canadian approach to freedom of expression allows for a wide conception of "expression" within s. 2(b). The Supreme Court of Canada has stated that a wide and inclusionary approach to the interpretation of the Charter's free expression guarantee is to be preferred (see Ford v. Quebec, and Irwin Toy). Thus, in Irwin Toy, Chief Justice Dickson explained that "'expression' has both a content and a form, and the two can be inextricably connected. Activity is expressive if it attempts to convey meaning. That meaning is its content." Not only is there a freedom of expression, there is also a freedom to not express. As Justice Beetz said in National Bank of Canada v. R.C.U. [p. 377 text], "all freedoms guaranteed by s. 2 of the Charter necessarily imply reciprocal rights: ... freedom of expression includes the right to not express." 
There are of course limits to free speech and free press guarantees, as the Canadian Supreme Court is quite ready to point out (see CBC v. A.G.N.B., below). For example, even though the press enjoys core constitutional rights of access and publication, they do not have protection for all operational means and methods the press may choose to adopt. The press does not, for example, enjoy immunity if they run a pedestrian down in pursuit of a new story under the guise of "freedom of the press". Nor is a violent attack on someone (however dramatic the attack may be) considered to be expression. Understanding freedom of expression requires not only understanding its place in the Canadian constitution, but also, understanding it within the context of society and society's competing values. 
In addition to the material in Constitutional Law of Canada, 8th edition<http://www.constitutional-law.net/8thed.html>, the following links may be of interest to the constitutional law student: 
American Sources 
  a.. First Amendment Section<http://www.freedomforum.org/first/> - recommended! Topical news and sources for First Amendment issues.

  b.. Freedom of Expression at the National Endowment for the Arts<http://www.csulb.edu/~jvancamp/intro.html> - An interdisciplinary education project partially funded by the American Bar Association, Commission on College and University Legal Studies through the ABA Fund for Justice and Education 

Articles, Essays, and Magazines 

  a.. Legal Compendium - s. 2 of the Charter<http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/LegalCompendium/section_2.htm> - a recent legal compendium created by MacEachern C.J.B.C. of the B.C. Court of Appeal. This is a good overview to section 2.

  b.. First Amendment Cyber-Tribune<http://w3.trib.com/FACT/> - "The FACT Web site is intended to be a resource for anyone wanting to learn about the First Amendment. It provides information on all the liberties guaranteed by the amendment."

  c.. Index on Censorship<http://www.oneworld.org/index_oc/index.html> - "Index on Censorship, the bi-monthly magazine for free speech, widens the debates on freedom of expression with some of the world's best writers. Through interviews, reportage, banned literature and polemic, Index shows how free speech affects the political issues of the moment." 

  d.. Make the Distinction between Hate Words and Deeds<http://www.ccla.org/pos/columns/hrc.shtml> - A. Alan Borovoy (CCLA position paper)

Cases from the Supreme Court of Canada 

  a.. R. v. Butler<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scc/en/pub/1992/vol1/html/1992scr1_0452.html> - 1992 SCC

  b.. RWDSU v. Dolphin Delivery<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1986/vol2/html/1986scr2_0573.html> - 1986 SCC

  c.. Irwin Toy Ltd. v. Quebec (A.G.)<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1989/vol1/html/1989scr1_0927.html> - 1989 SCC

  d.. Ford c. Quebec<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/fr/publies/1988/vol2/html/1988rcs2_0712.html> - 1988 SCC french

  e.. Rocket v. Royal College of Dental Surgeons<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1990/vol2/html/1990scr2_0232.html> - 1990 SCC

  f.. National Bank of Canada v. R.C.U.<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1984/vol1/html/1984scr1_0269.html> - 1984 SCC

  g.. Slaight Communications v. Davidson<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1989/vol1/html/1989scr1_1038.html> - 1989 SCC

  h.. R. v. Keegstra<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1990/vol3/html/1990scr3_0697.html> - 1990 SCC

  i.. R. v. Zundel (No. 2)<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1992/vol2/html/1992scr2_0731.html> - 1992 SCC

  j.. Taylor and Western Guard Party v. CHRC<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1990/vol3/html/1990scr3_0892.html> - 1990 SCC

  k.. Ross v. New Brunswick School District No. 15<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scc/en/pub/1996/vol1/html/1996scr1_0825.html> - 1996 SCC

  l.. Canada v. Committee for the Commonwealth of Canada<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1991/vol1/html/1991scr1_0139.html> - 1991 SCC

  m.. Native Women's Association of Canada v. Canada<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1994/vol3/html/1994scr3_0627.html> - 1994 SCC

  n.. New Brunswick Broadcasting Co. v. Nova Scotia (Speaker of the House of Assembly)<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1993/vol1/html/1993scr1_0319.html> - 1993 SCC

  o.. R. v. Canadian Newspapers Company Ltd.<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1988/vol2/html/1988scr2_0122.html> - 1988 SCC

  p.. Edmonton Journal v. Alberta<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1989/vol2/html/1989scr2_1326.html> - 1989 SCC

  q.. Moysa v. Alberta (LRB)<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1989/vol1/html/1989scr1_1572.html> - 1989 SCC

  r.. CBC v. Lessard<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1991/vol3/html/1991scr3_0421.html> - 1991 SCC

  s.. CBC v. AGNB<http://www.droit.umontreal.ca/doc/csc-scs/en/publies/1991/vol3/html/1991scr3_0459.html> - 1991 SCC

Freedom of the Press 

  a.. A Chronicle of Freedom of Expression in Canada<http://insight.dcss.mcmaster.ca/org/efc/pages/chronicle/>

  b.. The First Amendment and Freedom of the Press<http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itdhr/0297/ijde/goodale.htm> - article by James C. Goodale.

  c.. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press<http://www.rcfp.org/> - The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free legal help to reporters and news organizations.

  d.. Ralph McCoy's Freedom of the Press Annotated Bibliography<http://www.lib.siu.edu/cni/>

General Sources 

  a.. Free Speech Movement Archives<http://www.fsm-a.org/> - Documents and pictures related to freedom of speech

  b.. Freedom of Expression Links<http://insight.mcmaster.ca/org/efc/pages/chronicle/censor.html> - self-explanatory.

  c.. Freedom of Speech Links<http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/1022/fspeech.html> - self-explanatory 
  d.. Intellectual Freedom, Freedom of Expression and Censorship<http://www.msoe.edu/~shimek/intelfr.html> - Annotated list of links.

  e.. Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression<http://www.tjcenter.org/> - "The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression is a unique organization, devoted solely to the defense of free expression in all its forms. While its charge is sharply focused, the Center's mission is broad. It is as concerned with the musician as with the mass media, with the painter as with the publisher, and as much with the sculptor as the editor."

Internet and Free Speech 

  a.. MIT Student Association for Freedom of Expression<http://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/safe/home.html> - They work to organize support for freedom of speech and other forms of freedom of expression. 

  b.. Yahoo - Censorship and the Net<http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Issues_and_Causes/Civil_Rights/Censorship/Internet_Censorship/> - list of sites related to internet censorship.

Organizations 

  a.. B.C. Civil Liberties Association<http://www.bccla.org/index.html>

  b.. Canadian Civil Liberties Association<http://www.ccla.org/>

  c.. Electronic Frontier Canada<http://www.efc.ca/>

  d.. Feminists for Freedom of Expression<http://www.well.com/user/freedom/>

  e.. First Amendment Lawyers Association<http://www.fala.org/>

Censorship in Canada<http://www.freedomtoread.ca/censorship_in_canada/index.asp>
      This booklet, designed primarily for teachers, librarians and booksellers, offers basic information about dealing with would-be censors. ...
      http://www.freedomtoread.ca/censorship_in_canada/index.asp<http://www.freedomtoread.ca/censorship_in_canada/index.asp> - 38k - Cached<http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:C1ZB9dQzPD8J:www.freedomtoread.ca/censorship_in_canada/index.asp+Censorship&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=ca> - Similar pages<http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=related:www.freedomtoread.ca/censorship_in_canada/index.asp> 

Internet censorship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship>
      Internet censorship is control or suppression of the publishing or accessing of information on the Internet. The legal issues are similar to offline ...
      en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship - 128k - Cached<http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:GWC0bL6jzTQJ:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship+Censorship&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=ca> - Similar pages<http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=related:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship> 


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"I sit on a person's back, choking them and making them carry me, and yet I assure myself and others that I am very sorry for them and wish to ease their lot by all possible means -- except by getting off their back." ~Leo Tolstoy.

The Hunting of the Snark: "Oh, beamish nephew, beware of the day, If your Snark be a Boojum! For then You will softly and suddenly vanish away, And never be met with again! We should all of us grieve, as you well may believe, If you never were met with again -- For, although common Snarks do no manner of harm, yet, I feel it my duty to say, Some are Boojums." ~Lewis Carroll.

"Those who do not feel pain much, seldom think that it is felt. And yes, to wipe all tears from all faces is a task too hard for mortals; but to alleviate misfortunes is often within the most limited power: yet the opportunities which every day affords of relieving the most wretched of human beings are overlooked and neglected with equal disregard of policy and goodness." 
~ Samuel Johnson.

"Revolution is not something fixed in ideology, nor is it something fashioned to a particular decade. It is a perpetual process embedded in the human spirit." ~Abbie Hoffman.

"I worked my way up from nothing to a state of extreme poverty." -Groucho Marx.   

"La noblesse est soutenue au coeur -- Faire l'amour à la vie et le revel dans son esprit." ~François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire. 

Live to make civil society every day -- Ne lache pas!

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