Canadians were wise to keep Ann Coulter for discussing her intolerant views. Canadian law is different from US law. Canadians would be smart to avoid the excesses of American Ditto Heads and Tea Baggers.
Under section 318 of the Criminal Code of Canada, it is illegal to promote genocide. Under section 319, it is illegal to publicly incite hatred against people based on their colour, race, religion, ethnic origin, and sexual orientation, except where the statements made are true or are made in good faith.
The prohibition against inciting hatred based on sexual orientation was added to the section in 2004 with the passage of Bill C-250.
Coulter received a letter from the University of Ottawa's Vice-President Academic and Provost:
Dear Ms. Coulter,
I understand that you have been invited by University of Ottawa Campus Conservatives to speak at the University of Ottawa this coming Tuesday. We are, of course, always delighted to welcome speakers on our campus and hope that they will contribute positively to the meaningful exchange of ideas that is the hallmark of a great university campus. We have a great respect for freedom of expression in Canada, as well as on our campus, and view it as a fundamental freedom, as recognized by our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
I would, however, like to inform you, or perhaps remind you, that our domestic laws, both provincial and federal, delineate freedom of expression (or "free speech") in a manner that is somewhat different than the approach taken in the United States. I therefore encourage you to educate yourself, if need be, as to what is acceptable in Canada and to do so before your planned visit here.
You will realize that Canadian law puts reasonable limits on the freedom of expression. For example, promoting hatred against any identifiable group would not only be considered inappropriate, but could in fact lead to criminal charges. Outside of the criminal realm, Canadian defamation laws also limit freedom of expression and may differ somewhat from those to which you are accustomed. I therefore ask you, while you are a guest on our campus, to weigh your words with respect and civility . . .
Sincerely,Update: On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 11:31 AM, Nameless Cynic wrote:
Francois Houle,
Vice-President Academic and Provost, University of Ottawa
Actually, if you look into it a little deeper, you'll find that the organizers (you know, Ann Coulter's people) cancelled the event. Unconfirmed rumors are that only 100 tickets had sold, and significantly more protesters than 100 were on the scene. Loud, but non-violent.
Who could have guessed that Ann Coulter was a drama queen willing to twist facts for a little publicity?
Posted by Nameless Cynic to R i g h t a r d i a at March 25, 2010 11:31 AM
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1 comment:
Thanks for the information. Canadians are a little more astute and a less conservative than Americans. Your country doesn't need American nut jobs like Coulter preaching her hateful messages in Canada.
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