Blog
Page 8 of 14
Apr 10
2018
Campus Speech and the Inflation of Harm
There’s more interest in campus free expression than we have seen since the Great Student Revolts of 1968, or even further back in the last century, in the arguments of the 1930s and 1940s over fascism, social democracy, war and peace.
By William Bruneau / Posted Tuesday April 10, 2018
Mar 26
2018
Privacy Commissioner's Draft Report on a "Right to be de-indexed" is Cause for Concern
In its recent draft Position on Online Reputation, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) has suggested the options of removing webpages from search engine results, or “de-indexing”, along with “source takedown.”
By Andrea Gonsalves / Posted Monday March 26, 2018
Co-written by Justin Safayeni
Mar 19
2018
Applying the Openness Principle to Administrative Tribunals
The Toronto Star has brought an application before the Ontario Superior Court asking for a declaration that the open court principle should apply to administrative tribunals – that their proceedings and records be public in the same way that court proceedings and records are public.
By Abbas Kassam / Posted Monday March 19, 2018
Feb 20
2018
Toronto Public Library Is Committed to Intellectual Freedom: A Response to “’No Platforming’ should have no place in a Public Library”
The No Platforming blog post calls on the Library Board to reconsider its revised room booking policy. The blog refers to TPL as “detouring from its mandate” and the revised policy as “a misguided endeavor”, suggesting TPL’s commitment to intellectual freedom has been undermined.
By Vickery Bowles / Posted Tuesday February 20, 2018
Feb 12
2018
Back to Anti-racist Basics after the Gerald Stanley “Verdict”
I was at work last week on a quite different blog for the Ryerson CFE when a jury of Gerald Stanley’s peers (or is it settler clones?), seven women and five men none of whom were “visibly Indigenous,” acquitted Stanley of the murder of Colten Boushie of the Red Pheasant First Nation in August of 2016.
By Len Findlay / Posted Monday February 12, 2018
Jan 29
2018
Facilitated Disinformation
Disinformation can be facilitated by government regulatory structures—leading to deception and betrayals of trust, regardless of the structures’ original purpose. Significant regulatory failures in health and environmental areas are discussed here. A subsequent post will discuss broader influences contributing to the failures and how to overcome such problems.
By Jon Thompson / Posted Monday January 29, 2018
Jan 22
2018
Huffington Post and Canada Post Want to Protect Me. Thanks, But No Thanks
I think I am living in the proverbial “interesting times.”
By Danielle S. McLaughlin / Posted Monday January 22, 2018
Jan 11
2018
“No-Platforming” should have No Place in a Public Library
The Toronto Public Library (TPL) Board kicked-off 2018 by bringing in a new policy on community and event space rental. While the new policy is meant to address discrimination and promote inclusion, it is infinitely more likely to quash debates on controversial topics, exclude minority voices and in doing so, distort the mission of the library to promote the free exchange of ideas.
By Micheal Vonn / Posted Thursday January 11, 2018
Jan 4
2018
All Joking Aside? Taking Stock of Sexual Humour at Work
Is it ever appropriate to crack sex jokes at work? I hope so - since I’ve been known to do it on occasion. But a recent one-liner made by a Canadian parliamentarian has prompted me to interrogate my risque behaviour, and reflect on the line that divides harmless suggestive bantering from sleazy unwanted innuendos.
When it comes to erotic talk at the office, is one person’s discomfort another person’s delight?
If so, how to tell the difference? And what should be the consequences when we get our signals crossed?
By Ummni Khan / Posted Thursday January 4, 2018
Nov 16
2017
(Free) Speech on Campus
In the general public sphere, expression is subject to relatively few legal restrictions. Canadian law includes ‘content’ restrictions on obscenity, hate speech, defamation, and false advertising. There are also laws that regulate the time or location at which expression may occur and are concerned with coordinating expression with other activities in public spaces.
By Richard Moon / Posted Thursday November 16, 2017