Hasna Shireen

Author: Hasna Shireen

Hasna is the Research Associate with the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre (ACLRC). Prior to joining the ACLRC, she worked as an articling student at Bennett Jones LLP and Calgary Legal Guidance. Previously, she was a Research Associate at D-NET, Bangladesh (Associate of CARE, Canada) on a human rights project dedicated to empowering socially disadvantaged people, and at the Faculty of Law at Northern University Bangladesh. She holds an LL.M. in Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law from the University of Calgary, and has authored various publications dealing with civil liberties, human rights, privacy and access to information. Deeply passionate about human rights and civil liberties issues, she is engaged in projects to amplify marginalized voices and to facilitate opportunities for all individuals to participate in a democratic society.

By: Hasna Shireen

PDF Version: Balancing Freedom of Expression and the Privacy of Child Victims

Case Commented On: R v Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 2016 ABQB 204 (CanLII)

The Court in R v Canadian Broadcasting Corporation allows the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to maintain pre-publication ban articles on the web, thus allowing access to the identity of a deceased child victim. One of the major purposes of a publication ban is to protect a child victim’s privacy and thereby ensure future victims will come forward with the assurance of anonymity. This case demonstrates that freedom of expression of the media can take priority over a victim’s privacy rights. The case also demonstrates the lack of policy and legal authority dealing with web-based material, the transmission of information, victim’s privacy, and publication bans.