Freedom of Expression & Its Limits

Freedom of expression, a fundamental freedom under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, is the right to express beliefs, thoughts, ideas, and emotions; to share information; and to seek and receive information and ideas without restriction. Limits on freedom of expression in Canada include Criminal Code and Human Rights provisions regarding hate speech, harassment, and discrimination; civil defamation actions; a variety of municipal by-laws; and both government and private restrictions on online access and content.

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Blog March 28, 2022

Free Expression Walks into a Bar: The Case of Mike Ward and the Future of Canadian Comedy: Part 1

If you want to truly understand free expression and why it’s so vital for a democratic society, you need to immerse yourself in the margins of public discourse. An important subculture that often finds itself at these margins is stand-up comedy, where a variety of controversies are pushing the boundaries of free expression and attracting no shortage of public attention. 
Dax D’Orazio
Censorship, Freedom of Expression & Its Limits
BPC Bulletin March 10, 2022

Canadian Senator Introduces Bill to Shield Young People from Online Pornography

In Parliament, Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne has introduced Bill S-210 to restrict young people’s access to sexually explicit images on the internet. The bill’s short title: Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act. The first reading of Bill S-210 occurred in the Senate on November 24, 2021. THE BILL Read the text of the bill: https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/bill/S-210/first-reading THE BILL’S STATUS 
Freedom of Expression & Its Limits
Blog February 22, 2022

Restricting young people’s access to porn won’t save them, but it will threaten sexual speech

A bill to restrict young people’s online access to sexually explicit material has been re-introduced by Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne. The so-called Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act, would make it “an offence for organizations to make sexually explicit material available to young persons on the Internet” and would empower a designated enforcement authority to take steps to prevent such access. 
Lara Karaian
Freedom of Expression & Its Limits