Author Archives: Jeff Watson

About Jeff Watson

Jeff Watson has a JD from the University of Manitoba. He is currently a Lawyer in the Law and Legislative Services Department of The City of Calgary.

The Shrinking Space for Hateful Speech in the Public Square – The Alberta Court of Appeal’s Decision in Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform v The City of Grande Prairie (City), 2018 ABCA 154

By: Ola Malik, Sasha Best and Jeff Watson

PDF Version: The Shrinking Space for Hateful Speech in the Public Square – The Alberta Court of Appeal’s Decision in Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform v The City of Grande Prairie (City), 2018 ABCA 154

Case Commented On: Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform v The City of Grande Prairie (City), 2018 ABCA 154 (CanLII)

Introduction

Determining what limits apply to an advertiser’s freedom of expression as it pertains to the advertising of offensive messaging on the sides of municipal buses has been the subject of considerable judicial commentary both at the Supreme Court of Canada level and recently by the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench and the Alberta Court of Appeal – see for example: the Supreme Court of Canada, in Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority v. Canadian Federation of Students, [2009] 2 SCR 295, 2009 SCC 31 (CanLII) (GVTA); the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench decisions in American Freedom Defence Initiative v Edmonton (City), 2016 ABQB 555 (CanLII ) (AFDI), blogged about here and Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform v The City of Grande Prairie (City), 2016 ABQB 734 (CanLII) (CCBR QB) (which is the subject of this appeal) which we have previously commented upon here.  (See also a decision of the B.C. Supreme Court in The Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform v. South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority, 2017 BCSC 1388 (CanLII)).

In CCBR and AFDI, the courts examined the hateful nature of the advertising messages, their harmful impact, and the challenges which this type of messaging poses for municipalities.  In many ways, both these decisions addressed novel questions of law that hadn’t been extensively canvassed elsewhere.  The Alberta Court of Appeal’s decision in Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform v The City of Grande Prairie (City), 2018 ABCA 154 (CanLII) (CCBR CA) helpfully settles some of these questions and provides municipalities with useful guidance regarding the limits of freedom to advertise in municipal spaces.

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No Offence, But I Hate You: American Freedom Defence Initiative v Edmonton (City)

By: Ola Malik, Jeff Watson and Holly Wong 

PDF Version: No Offence, But I Hate You: American Freedom Defence Initiative v Edmonton (City)

Case Commented On: American Freedom Defence Initiative v Edmonton (City), 2016 ABQB 555 (Can LII )

Our Canadian courts are jealous guardians of the freedom of expression, which the Canadian Charter protects in section 2(b). The rationale for protecting freedom of expression is that society should be free to discuss and decide what is true, what is right and what is good. As with most things Canadian, we have accepted that the way in which we speak to one another should be politely regulated. Our courts have accepted that for expression to be truly valued, our public square must provide everyone with the opportunity to speak as equals, where no one is made to feel marginalized or devalued. How very Canadian, indeed! To a large extent, how we speak to one another is as important as what we say, and that, in our view, is a good thing. Defining the limits of appropriate speech isn’t just an exercise in legal abstractions, nor does it just involve lawyers. Rather, it goes to the heart of how all of us live together in a peaceful community with our neighbours and what we, together as a community, aspire to be.

Those of us who practice municipal law and who are interested in freedom of expression issues have been eagerly awaiting the case of American Freedom Defence Initiative v Edmonton (City), 2016 ABQB 555 (AFDI). Indeed, we were so intrigued by the issues this case raises that we commented on them long before trial, here, and in a companion piece titled “Controversial Advertising on City Buses – Are Municipalities Ready for What’s To Come?” (2015) 7:5 DMPL (2d) 1-6. Continue reading →