(OTTAWA, January 22, 2014) – The Ontario Civil Liberties Association (OCLA) released a critical report this week on Bill 83, Protection of Public Participation Act, 2013, Ontario’s “anti-SLAPP bill”. The bill was introduced by Attorney General of Ontario John Gerretsen in June 2013 as an effort to discourage litigation designed to silence free expression on issues of public interest.
OCLA asserts in its report that Bill 83 is deficient and flawed because it does not abolish the deleterious features of the defamation cause of action, which are incompatible with the Charter right of free expression.
The OCLA report concludes that Bill 83 will not protect free expression, and will cause greater expense of judicial resources without any net beneficial effects.
OCLA’s report on Bill 83 has been forwarded to all MPPs and to concerned associations, and is available at the following link: https://ocla.ca/report-bill-83/
About the Ontario Civil Liberties Association
OCLA is an organization formed to defend civil liberties at a time when fundamental freedoms are subjected to systemic erosion in all spheres of social life. OCLA opposes institutional policies and decisions that remove from the individual his or her personal liberty or exclude the individual from participation in the democratic functions of society.
Contact:
Joseph Hickey
Executive Director
Ontario Civil Liberties Association (OCLA) https://ocla.ca
613-252-6148 (c)
joseph.hickey@ocla.ca
