Schabas, Paul

From Ad IDEM / CMLA

Paul B. Schabas
Address
Blake, Cassels & Graydon Box 25, Commerce Court West 191 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario M5L 1A9
Telephone	(416) 863-4274
Fax	(416) 863-2653
E-mail
paul.schabas@blakes.com
Website
http://www.blakes.ca
Media Clients
The Toronto Star Metroland Papers Canadian Newspaper Association Harper Collins Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CTV The Associated Press

Partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP in Toronto, Canada. Paul Schabas has a broad litigation practice with an emphasis on media, constitutional and public law. He has been counsel on many Charter cases dealing with freedom of expression, libel, freedom of information, equality rights, judicial independence, fundamental justice and search and seizure, including many leading cases in the Supreme Court of Canada (e.g., Morgentaler (abortion), Mentuck (publication bans), Canadian Foundation for Children Youth and the Law (corporal punishment), and Toronto Star (sealing orders), among others). He also represents clients on commercial, administrative law and white collar criminal matters (including successfully defending the only charges to be laid arising from the notorious "Airbus" affair).

In the media area specifically, Mr Schabas has tried numerous libel cases (jury and non-jury), and frequently argues newsgathering issues, such as publication bans, access to courts and other hearings, protection of confidential sources and access to information, search warrants and subpoenas. He represented the Washington Post on the leading internet "libel tourism" case in Canada (Bangoura), and has acted on several other similar cases. Recently, Mr Schabas tried the first case in Canada to raise the defence of responsible journalism in the public interest (Grant v. Torstar), now under reserve before the Supreme Court of Canada. In the newsgathering field, Mr Schabas has been representing a coalition of national and international media challenging the statutory publication ban on bail hearings arising from the "Toronto 18" terrorism charges (Toronto Star et al.), and has represented the Canadian Newspaper Association and others on a case arguing for a constitutional right to information in Canada (Criminal Lawyers' Association). Both cases are now also before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Mr. Schabas is an elected Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada (the governing body of lawyers in Ontario) and is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is President of the Canadian Media Lawyers Association (AdIDEM), Past President of Pro Bono Law Ontario, and a Director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, The Advocates’ Society, The Law Foundation of Ontario and The Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History. He has taught for many years at Osgoode Hall Law School (York University) and is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, where with his partner Bert Bruser he teaches a unique course on Media and Defamation Law. Mr Schabas has published many articles on media and Charter issues, and is a frequent speaker at conferences, including the Law Society’s “Special Lectures” in 2000 and 2003. Through Interights in London, Mr Schabas has submitted briefs on Canadian constitutional law to the European Court of Human Rights. He has also sat on the Boards of community and cultural organizations. He has a B.A. (Hons., 1981) and an LL.B. (1984) from the University of Toronto.

1-May-09