City of Montreal Bylaw Banning Insults Against Police Officers Is Unconstitutional, Lawyers Claim
Two legal groups say the measure is overly broad and could let police fine political speech and protests.
- Two legal rights organizations, the Association des juristes progressistes and the Clinique juridique de Saint-Michel , filed a legal challenge in Quebec Superior Court against Montreal's new bylaw banning insults toward municipal employees and police.
- Filed on Tuesday, the application argues the bylaw violates freedom of expression under the Canadian and Quebec charters, claiming the City of Montreal adopted the measure without public consultation.
- Under the bylaw, residents face fines between $300 and $1,000 for a first offence, with penalties up to $2,000. Lawyer Fernando Belton argued that "granting overly broad powers" to police risks abuse.
- Seeking to prevent immediate harm, the organizations asked the court to suspend the bylaw before the case is decided. A Superior Court judge is scheduled to hear the request for an expedited hearing on October 9.
- Similar bylaws already exist in other municipalities, including Quebec City, Laval, Longueuil, and Sherbrooke. The Canadian Press reported in June that some of these jurisdictions have issued thousands of fines over the past six years.
18 Articles
18 Articles
City of Montreal bylaw banning insults against police officers is unconstitutional, lawyers claim
A group of lawyers has filed a legal challenge against a newly adopted City of Montreal bylaw that prohibits people from insulting police officers and municipal employees.
Montreal's anti-insult bylaw challenged in court over freedom of expression concerns
Two Montreal legal rights organizations are asking Quebec Superior Court to strike down the city’s new anti-insult bylaw, arguing that its broad restrictions on behaviour toward city employees — particularly police — unlawfully infringe upon freedom of expression.
The Association des juristes progressives (AJP) and the Clinique juridique de Saint-Michel (CJSM) wish to put an end to the new regulation prohibiting insults against members of the staff of the City of Montreal and its police officers. They are taking legal steps in this direction.
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