TORONTO: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (

JCCF.ca

) today responded to the Ontario government’s

announcement

that every publicly-assisted college and university must develop and publicly post its own free speech policy by January 1, 2019, meeting minimal standards as specified by the government. The government’s new policy is a significant step towards the Justice Centre’s

proposal for legislation to protect freedom of expression on campus

, submitted to the Ontario government on July 20, 2018.



The Ontario government announced on August 30 that universities must implement and apply policies that include principles based on the

University of Chicago Statement on Principles of Free Expression

:



• Universities and colleges should be places for open discussion and free inquiry.



• The university/college should not attempt to shield students from ideas or opinions that they disagree with or find offensive.



• While members of the university/college are free to criticize and contest views expressed on campus, they may not obstruct or interfere with the freedom of others to express their views.



Ontario’s universities and colleges must further ensure that students who violate the campus free expression policy (e.g., by engaging in disruptive protests that significantly interfere with the ability of an event to proceed) are disciplined. Ontario universities must also prepare an annual report on its progress in complying with its free speech policy, and submit it to the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.



Failure to introduce and comply with free speech policies may result in cuts to government funding, with such cuts being proportional to the severity of non-compliance. “This is the first time in Canadian history that any provincial government has moved to protect free speech on campus,” stated lawyer John Carpay, President of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.



“The government’s announced policies are similar to the Justice Centre’s submissions to the Ontario government this past July,” continued Carpay.



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