The first rule of comedy that all comedians are taught is “F**k’em if they can’t take a joke!” That thought hasn’t rung truer than the past few days for me and many other comedians around the world, many in town for Just For Laughs.

As many have heard, Mike Ward was ordered to pay a large sum of money — I’d rather call it ransom, but I digress — to Jérémy Gabriel, the butt of a joke, and his mother, concerning a joke that he made several years ago. They launched a human rights complaint because they said the joke caused the child to be bullied and teased, and his quality of life deteriorated.

I am truly sorry that happened to this young man, although I don’t think what Mike Ward said was the real cause of that torment — but that’s a discussion for another day.

What is really of concern is: Where do we draw the line? So now is it okay for anyone who is offended by something a comedian says to sue them? I say this because I’m concerned about what precedent is being set by this human rights tribunal. This is a game changer. It changes the way comedians may think and react while dealing with hecklers. It changes the way comedians write. It has stripped us of the upper hand we all held while on stage.

It used to be, you didn’t like a joke, you didn’t laugh, and then moved on to the next one. Now a punchline, that, to be fair, was in part placed in the public eye by his parents, caused offence. They complained, and won damages.

What happened to freedom of speech and expression? If I don’t like what I’m hearing, I don’t laugh, I change the channel. But never have I thought to sue. Have we become like the Excited States — a Nation of Litigation?

Can you imagine someone trying to sue Don Rickles, Buddy Hackett or Richard Pryor back in the day? That never would have happened, because anyone trying to sue them would have been the object of popular ridicule.

Again, I am not heartless, and do understand the plight of the child, but to blame one’s misery on one joke is silly. I myself have said many awful things on stage, directed at someone seated in the audience — and in 24 years of performing, not once have I been sued or taken to a human rights tribunal, or even had that person threaten me or wait for me after the show. Usually, the butts of the joke are the first to come over shake your hand and say “good show.” Now, the door is open for many new things to happen, all because of a tribunal’s decision.

First it’s a tribunal, next, police officers arresting comedians mid-show for what they deemed immoral material — à la Lenny Bruce. Then full on censorship? Where does it end?