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Supreme Court of Canada to rule on protection of open court principle and free expression

Ottawa – On Thursday, September 27, 2012, the Supreme Court of Canada will deliver its decision in A.B. v. Bragg. The BCCLA is an intervener in the case.

A.B. is a teenager pursuing an action in defamation based on a fake Facebook profile. At issue in this case is the impact her request for orders shielding her identity and removing the allegedly defamatory Facebook contents from the public record would have on freedom of expression and the open courts principle.

The BCCLA argued that in defamation cases, the public needs to know what speech is being held to be defamatory in order to understand and assess what constitutes defamatory speech, and what limits the courts have placed on freedom of expression in order to protect reputation.

The BCCLA is represented by Marko Vesely, Chris Sanderson, Q.C. and Toby Kruger of Lawson Lundell LLP.

The BCCLA’s argument is available here >>

What: Supreme Court of Canada to release judgment in A.B. v. Bragg

When: BCCLA representatives will be available for comment before the judgment on Wednesday, September 26 and after the reasons are issued on Thursday, September 27. (The reasons will be issued at 6:45 am PST/ 9:45 am PST)

Where: Supreme Court of Canada (Ottawa, Ontario)

Who: Counsel for the BCCLA, Marko Vesely, and BCCLA Litigation Director (Acting), Carmen Cheung, will be available for comment

CIVIL LIBERTIES CAN’T PROTECT THEMSELVES