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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
| July 12, 2019 | R v Assoun 2019 NSSC 220 | |
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| This NSSC decision ends the sealing of a court file in the case of a man who spent sixteen and a half years in prison for a murder he did not commit.
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| July 8, 2019 | HMQ v Rebecca Reid 2019 OCJ 19-6210 | |
| In this Ontario Court of Justice decision, the Crown’s application for a non-publication and sealing Order on a potential victim impact statement was dismissed. The application was pursuant to section 486.7 of the CCC, which was a novel use of that provision.
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| May 30, 2019 | Torgerson et al v Nijem 2019 ONSC 3320 | |
| In this judgment, the ONSC struck out a claim in defamation for internet postings summarily (prior to defending) on a limitation, relying on the 2017 ONCA case of John v Ballingall.
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| April 30, 2019 | Bibeau c La Presse et al 2019 QCCA | |
| In this judgment, the Quebec Court of Appeal states that “at most” the absence of charges is just one of many factors that the Court has to consider in applying Dagenais/Mentuck under s. 487.3 of the Criminal Code.
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| February 22, 2019 | Albo v The Winnipeg Free Press et al 2019 MBQB 34 | |
| In this decision the MBQB dismissed the claims of breach of copyright and breach of contract brought by a paid consultant on a story, who sued the Winnipeg Free Press for republishing the story as a book.
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| February 18, 2019 | Guimont et al c Bussieres et al 2019 QCCA 200-09-009573-178 | |
| A unanimous Quebec Court of Appeal judgment has ruled that the Quebec Press Act, written in 1929 and designed to protect the freedom of newspapers, does not apply to articles published on the internet.
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| February 15, 2019 | HMTQ v CBC 2019 ONSC 1079 | |
| In this ONSC decision, the CBC and PostMedia were found not to be in civil contempt, under s. 486.4 of the Criminal Code, of publication bans issued in criminal proceedings.
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| December 13, 2018 | Ayangma v Saltwire 2018 PESC 48 | |
| In this ruling, from the PESC, the defendants were granted summary judgment, on the grounds that the plaintiff's claim was outside the limitation period.
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| December 4, 2018 | Magyar Jeti Zrt v Hungary 2018 ECHR | |
| In this ruling on a hyperlinks issue, the ECHR relies heavily on the Crookes decision.
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| November 30, 2018 | Pan v Gao 2018 BCSC 2137 | |
| The Court awarded nominal damages of $1 to an otherwise successful plaintiff businessman whose credibility, candour, and document production were found to be inadequate.
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Events
2019 Freedom of Expression Award call for nominations
May 1, 2019
Toronto, ON
Please click for more details.
Call for submissions for 2019 Ad IDEM Freedom of Expression Writing Prize
May 31, 2019
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 31, 2019 with the winner to be announced by September 2019.
Please click for more details and a link to submission guidelines.
2019 Conference
November 8 & 9, 2019
Toronto, ON
Please click for more details.
2018 Freedom of Expression Award
November 2, 2018
Montreal, Quebec
Please click for more details.
2018 Winner of the Ad IDEM Freedom of Expression Writing Prize and call for submissions for 2019
September 5, 2018
Ad IDEM/Canadian Media Lawyers Association congratulates M. Jay Smith-Hayward, the winner of its annual writing prize for students writing on the topic of protection of freedom of expression or freedom of the press in Canada.
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 31, 2019 with the winner to be announced by September 2019. Please click for more details and a link to submission guidelines.
