Main Page
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
| 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.
| ||
| 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.
| ||
| 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.
| ||
| November 30, 2018 | R v Vice Media Canada Inc 2018 SCC 53 | |
| The SCC unanimously upheld an order for a journalist to give police copies of conversations with a person who said he belonged to a terrorist group.
| ||
| November 27, 2018 | Wilson v Canwest Publishing Inc - Publications Canwest Inc 2018 BCCA 441 | |
| The BCCA overturned the lower court judgment in this defamation case and held that responsible communication prevailed.
| ||
| November 23, 2018 | R v Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 2018 ABCA 391 | |
| The ABCA dismissed the Crown's appeal and upheld the lower court decision, confirming that "publication" only occurs once and that publication bans are not retroactive.
| ||
| November 22, 2018 | R v Vader 2018 ABCA 389 | |
| The ABCA holds that it is an error of law not to give notice to the media of an application to restrict access or publication, and it is the application judge’s responsibility to ensure that notice to the media is given.
| ||
| October 31, 2018 | R v MGM 2018 ABPC 256 | |
| In this ABPC decision, the judge denied a youth’s request to exclude the public on a s. 517 bail hearing.
| ||
| October 25, 2018 | Doe v Baker 2018 ONSC 6240 | |
| The ONSC dismissed an application from a police officer for an anonymity order or publication ban at a Coroner's inquest into the death of a man.
| ||
| August 30, 2018 | Able Translations Ltd v Express International Translations Inc 2018 ONCA 690 | |
| The ONCA upheld the lower court decision under s. 137.1 of the CJA, dismissing the appeal and refusing leave to appeal costs.
|
Events
2019 Freedom of Expression Award call for nominations
September 1, 2019
Toronto, ON
Please click for more details.
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.
