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From Ad IDEM / CMLA
Welcome to the Ad IDEM / Canadian Media Lawyers Association Website
Ad IDEM stands for Advocates In Defence of Expression in Media / Avocats pour la defense de l'expression dans les medias (the capital letters in bold spelling "MEDIA" (from right to left)). We are also known by the acronym CMLA, the Canadian Media Lawyers Association.
Our members are leading media lawyers across Canada. We organize a major annual conference, intervene in important Supreme Court of Canada cases, and promote improved laws and policies for free expression and openness of courts.
AdIDEM/CMLA is dedicated to the protection and enhancement of free expression in Canada and abroad. Our aim is to achieve this objective through:
* public and professional education * advocacy and law reform initiatives * cooperation with related professional organizations
AdIDEM/CMLA members are lawyers representing the media across Canada. Associate Members, who may or may not be lawyers, have had experience in issues involving media law and free expression, and are advocates for free expression as well.[| Read more...]
New Developments
| September 13, 2016 | R v Derbyshire 2016 NSCA 67 | |
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| The NSCA refused to extend a publication ban on the names of undercover officers, citing the importance of court openness.
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| September 13, 2016 | R v Daviau 2016 ABQB 511 | |
| The ABQB denied an application for a discretionary publication ban under section 486.5 of the Criminal Code after careful consideration of the factors set out in s. 486.5(7) and analysis under the Dagenais/Mentuck test.
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| September 11, 2016 | 2016 Ad IDEM Freedom of Expression Writing Prize Winning Submission | |
| Spencer Keys, a 2016 graduate of the University of British Columbia Allard School of Law, received the $2,500.00 prize for his paper entitled “Reconceptualizing Reputation and Defamation for Cyber Speech: an analysis of Baglow v Smith”.
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| September 1, 2016 | Owens v Post Media Network Inc 2016 SKQB 289 | |
| After rejecting a human rights complaint brought against the Regina Leader-Post, the SKQB commented on the important and vital role of a free press.
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| August 15, 2016 | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - Radio-Canada v Canada (Attorney General) 2016 FC 933 | |
| The Federal Court found that the Court Martial Administrator erred in finding that publication bans required the redaction of the names of the complainants when providing access to the requested court martial decisions to the media.
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| July 20, 2016 | 2016 Quebec Superior Court Djermane Judgment | |
| This decision of the Quebec Superior Court (in French) upholds the lower court decision in which the judge denied an application for a publication ban on sworn statements in support of search warrants. The lower court judge also found that the expert report lacked the basic qualities that would allow her to admit it into evidence as per the Mohan test.
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| May 31, 2016 | 2016 Quebec Superior Court Ghalmi Judgment | |
| Representatives for several media were successful in obtaining a copy of a sworn statement presented ex parte by an RCMP officer to a Quebec Court judge tasked with issuing a summons under s. 810 of the CCC.
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| July 26, 2016 | 2016 Ad IDEM Freedom of Expression Writing Prize winner announced | |
| Spencer Keys, a 2016 graduate of the University of British Columbia Allard School of Law, received the $2,500.00 prize for his paper entitled “Reconceptualizing Reputation and Defamation for Cyber Speech: an analysis of Baglow v Smith”.
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| July 20, 2016 | Ben Aissa Judgment 2016 Quebec Superior Court | |
| This decision of the Quebec Superior Court (in French) confirms that the lower court judge made no reviewable error in holding that a publication ban issued at a bail hearing or a preliminary inquiry does not automatically apply to information in an ITO, even if that information is the same as the evidence tendered at either the bail hearing or preliminary inquiry.
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| July 11, 2016 | Mulgrew v The Law Society of British Columbia 2016 BCSC 1279 | |
| British Columbia Supreme Court confirms production order under British Columbia Legal Profession Act, S.B.C. 1998, c. 9 to compel the Vancouver Sun and its journalist to produce their notes of communications with a lawyer under Law Society investigation.
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Events
Law Commission of Ontario: Call for Research Papers on Defamation in the Internet Age
August 3, 2016
The Law Commission of Ontario (LCO) is undertaking a project on defamation law in the age of the internet. As part of the development of the consultation paper, the LCO will fund a number of research papers that will inform our development of options for reform.
The Ad IDEM Freedom of Expression Writing Prize 2017
July 27, 2016
Ad IDEM/CMLA is seeking submissions for the annual student Writing Prize for a paper promoting freedom of expression. The deadline for submissions is May 30, 2017 with the winner to be announced by September 2017.
Please click for more details and a link to submission guidelines.
2016 Conference
November 4 & 5, 2016
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Please click for more details.
