S05E07 The Blurry Lines of Online Harm

Justice with John Carpay

John takes us through his critique of the proposed federal Online Harms Act. While acknowledging some good in it, he notes that most of that good is duplication of existing laws, while the bad is, in his words, "the worst attack on free speech in modern Canadian history." The federal government is using "safety" as the justification, and their main target is "hate speech." The government says it wants to bring the law in line with the Supreme Court, but John demonstrates how even that court has difficulty in producing a coherent definition of "hate."
Justice Centre, Feb 29, 2024: Online Harms Act threatens free expression in Canada
Justice Centre Petition: Stop the Online Harms Act

John Carpay in the The Epoch Times, Mar 5, 2024: Online Harms Act the Latest Manifestation of Canada's New Maternal Fascism
The National Post, Jan 13, 2012: Richard Warman's hate speech quagmire
Joseph Brean in The National Post, Feb 29, 2024: The history of Section 13, the controversial hate speech law the Liberals just revived
i24 News, Nov 9, 2023: Berlin criminalizes slogan 'From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free
The National Post, Nov 17, 2023: Charge stayed against Calgary pro-Palestinian protester who chanted 'from the river to the sea'
The National Post, Mar 5, 2024: Online harms bill could spark 'an absolute tsunami of complaints'
CBC, Feb 26, 2024: Groups fighting anti-Black racism file complaint against Canadian Human Rights Commission
CanLII, Feb 27, 2013: Saskatchewan (Human Rights Commission) v. Whatcott, 2013
Justice Centre, Feb 2, 2020: Yaniv v. Various Waxing Salons

Carson Jerema in The National Post, Feb 27, 2024: Don't believe the Liberals, online harms act targets free speech
Michael Geist in The Hub, Feb 27, 2024: Red flags abound in new online harms legislation

Andrew Coyne in the Globe and Mail, Feb 27, 2024: One cheer for the new Online Harms Act
Theme Music "Carpay Diem" by Dave Stevens

Support the show