News

Toronto: July 11,2019 - The Centre for Free Expression is pleased to announce the newest addition to its Occasional Paper Series, “Populism and Free Speech” by Jon Thompson. The paper explores the contradictory history of populism -- at times a force for social justice and at other times  to undermine democratic rights of marginalized groups. Thompson  argues that progressive populist action is required to successfully deal with the existential challenges of nuclear war, climate change and chemical pollution.   

News Reports and Commentary Selected by Franklin Carter of the Book and Periodical Council’s Freedom of Expression Committee   In June 2019, the House Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in Ottawa published a report about hateful expression on the Internet.

News Reports and Commentary Selected by Franklin Carter of the Book and Periodical Council’s Freedom of Expression Committee   In the world of young-adult publishing, some fiction authors face barrages of abuse and threats — including death threats — on social media for their portrayals of minority characters and different cultures. Publishers are cancelling novels before publication and withdrawing published novels from marketplaces.

News Reports and Commentary Selected by Franklin Carter of the Book and Periodical Council’s Freedom of Expression Committee   In Ottawa, a federal government committee is considering ways to stem the tide of hate propaganda and incitement to hatred on the Internet. The House Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights is chaired and dominated by Liberal MPs. However, Conservative MPs and one New Democratic MP also sit on the committee.

News Reports and Commentary Selected by Franklin Carter of the Book and Periodical Council’s Freedom of Expression Committee   The following news reports about Canadian defamation lawsuits appeared in the Canadian news media. The lawsuits, which affect or affected writers and publishers, originated in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia. REPORTAGE May 2019

News Reports and Commentary Selected by Franklin Carter of the Book and Periodical Council’s Freedom of Expression Committee   In a Toronto courtroom, the sentencing of a convicted hatemonger has been postponed a second time. James Sears, the editor of Your Ward News, now faces sentencing in the Ontario Court of Justice on July 15, 2019. Mr. Sears has also fired his lawyer.