Mr. Stelmach-- tear down this free speech wall!

by Calgary Herald
Calgary Herald
September 26, 2009

http://www.legal-project.org/474/mr-stelmach-tear-down-this-free-speech-wall

Excerpt:

Is the tide of Canadian censorship finally starting to turn?

We are hopeful, though not tempted to complacency.

This week, the Alberta Human Rights Commission cited a string of recent court and commission climb-downs, in the reasons it gave for dismissing a complaint lodged against this newspaper and its corporate companion, the Edmonton Journal.

Naturally, the Herald --which has been very vocal on this issue for many years, if not decades-- welcomes the decision.

However, it rests on an interpretation by a human rights commission of its own powers: The situation is thus somewhat comparable to the police investigating allegations of police misbehaviour. So, while it is a good thing that commissions are starting to realize how much they have exceeded the intentions of those who established them, a reduction of their powers must be cemented with new legislation, if free-speech rights are to be properly protected.

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