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Nobody understood the pitfalls of speech codes better, nor was more eloquent in defending the freedom to offend in speech, than George Jonas, who died last Sunday. By coincidence, a free-speech story came to my attention just days before George’s death, one he himself would have relished. So, George, this column’s for you.

Peter Best is a generalist lawyer near Sudbury in practice with his daughter Amy. A great admirer of Nelson Mandela, Best has a strong and abiding interest in all matters pertaining to racial equality.

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In Dec. 2014, he posted a long, scholarly and provocative dissertation on a dedicated online site (nodifference.ca), entitled “There is no difference: An argument for the abolition of the Indian reserve system and special race-based laws and entitlements for Canada’s Indians.”

Best also posted the essay to his firm’s website, both for wider dissemination in the marketplace of ideas, and to ensure potential clients were aware of his views to avoid future awkwardness. In August three complaints (the “Complainant”) against Best regarding the essay were filed with the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC), and one as well against Amy, who the anonymous Complainant deemed complicit in working for a “racist.” The LSUC’s gatekeepeer dismissed the complaint against Amy, but in Oct. 2015 opened a dossier on Best.