We are a platform dedicated to

Freedom of Expression and the Public's Right to Know

Genuine democracy, advancement of knowledge, individual self-development, and social justice depend on a society in which freedom of expression and the right to know are a reality for everyone. The Centre for Free Expression works to advance these rights though public education, advocacy, law reform, research, advisory services, policy analysis, assistance to courts, and organizational collaborations.

The Latest

News April 16, 2020

The Trudeau government and Correctional Services Canada need to withdraw rules that stifle reporting on federal prisons, CFE and other press freedom organizations demand

The Centre for Free Expression joined four other press freedom organizations in calling on the federal government to permit the media to provide the public with an accurate and timely depiction of the state of current COVID-19 health risks in federal prisons and among federal inmates in provincial institutions.

Freedom of the Press

News April 15, 2020

CFE Joins 156 Other Organizations in Calling for Governments in Canada to Make Human Rights a Centrepiece of their Response to Covid-19 Pandemic

More that 300 organizations, academics, and public figures have called on governments in Canada to ensure that human rights are central in their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Censorship, Freedom of Expression & Its Limits, Privacy & Surveillance

Blog April 14, 2020

Educating for Democracy in the Time of COVID-19

For those of us who have young people in our lives, the COVID-19 pandemic can present a unique opportunity to engage them in exercises that focus on democracy. Whether those young people are stuck in your home with you, or are distanced from you and only reachable using some kind of media (including your basic telephone), you can spend a little of the rather too abundant time we now have asking and considering important questions.

Danielle S. McLaughlin

Freedom of Expression & Its Limits

Blog April 6, 2020

A Cautionary Tale: Dangers to Collegial Governance in the Time of COVID-19

On March 19th, the Executive of the General Faculties Council at the University of Alberta took the unusual step of acting on delegated authority, at a special meeting, to refuse to grant students letter grades for their Winter 2020 courses. The plan, instead, was for students to receive only a CR (credit) or NC (no credit) notation on their transcripts.

Carolyn Sale

Academic Freedom

News April 6, 2020

CFE joins international call for whistleblower protection during COVID-19 crisis

Major whistleblowing organizations from around world, including the Centre for Free Expression, issued a joint letter today calling on governments and institutions to protect those who report or expose the harms, abuses and serious wrongdoing that arise during this period of crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whistleblower Protection

Blog March 31, 2020

Even in the Age of Covid-19, Justice Requires Open Courts

The justice system is facing unprecedented challenges. Like almost every other sector of society, the new realities of province-wide “social distancing” have raised fundamental questions about whether — and perhaps even how — courts and tribunals can continue to function in the age of the pandemic.

Justin Safayeni

Freedom of the Press, Access-to-Information, Freedom of Expression & Its Limits