Statement On Freedom of Speech By CHRC Investigator Dean Steacy
In an exchange during the Marc Lemire case, lead CHRC investigator Dean Steacy was asked "What value do you give freedom of speech when you investigate?" Steacy responded:
| “ | "Freedom of speech is an American concept, so I don't give it any value... It's not my job to give value to an American concept." | ” |
In the same transcript, Mr. Steacy later repeated that "freedom of speech is an American concept, it is not a Canadian concept" but added that a person stating that they were protected by "freedom of speech," would be equivalent "to somebody raising a 'freedom of expression' concept," which Mr. Steacy stated was protected under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms "to a point." He later added that "you don't have the right to say absolutely anything you desire, especially when it's in written format."
Jonathan Kay of the National Post criticized Steacy's remarks, stating that: "for an organization that is supposed to promote "human rights," the HRC's agents seem curiously oblivious to basic aspects of constitutional law." He added that, in Mr. Steacy's mind, "Section 2 has been excised from his copy of the Canadian Charter of Rights. Kay also stated that "someone lacking such basic general knowledge apparently occupies a senior position in the "Human Rights Commission" is cause for serious concern, and certainly an audit of the whole CHRC apparatus."
Senator Doug Finley later criticized Steacy, stating that "He actually said that. The Canadian Human Rights Commission actually admits they do not give free speech any value. That is totally unacceptable. Freedom of speech is the great non-partisan principle that every Member of Parliament can agree on — that every Canadian can agree on." He also called on the Canadian Senate to "reaffirm that freedom of speech is a great Canadian principle that goes back hundreds of years."
Writing in The Lawyers Weekly in October 2011, Toronto lawyer Omar Ha-Redeye cited Steacy's statement to support his view "Restrictions on freedom of expression are acceptable in Canadian law where reasonable goals toward promoting democracy are identified."
Read more about this topic: Canadian Human Rights Commission Free Speech Controversy
Famous quotes containing the words statement, freedom, speech, investigator and/or dean:
“It is commonplace that a problem stated is well on its way to solution, for statement of the nature of a problem signifies that the underlying quality is being transformed into determinate distinctions of terms and relations or has become an object of articulate thought.”
—John Dewey (1859–1952)
“The addition of a helpless, needy infant to a couple’s life limits freedom of movement, changes role expectancies, places physical demands on parents, and restricts spontaneity.”
—Jerrold Lee Shapiro (20th century)
“Grammar is a tricky, inconsistent thing. Being the backbone of speech and writing, it should, we think, be eminently logical, make perfect sense, like the human skeleton. But, of course, the skeleton is arbitrary, too. Why twelve pairs of ribs rather than eleven or thirteen? Why thirty-two teeth? It has something to do with evolution and functionalism—but only sometimes, not always. So there are aspects of grammar that make good, logical sense, and others that do not.”
—John Simon (b. 1925)
““O human creature, ... you are the investigator without knowledge, the magistrate without jurisdiction, and all in all, the fool of the farce.””
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)
“President Lowell of Harvard appealed to students ‘to prepare themselves for such services as the Governor may call upon them to render.’ Dean Greenough organized an ‘emergency committee,’ and Coach Fisher was reported by the press as having declared, ‘To hell with football if men are needed.’”
—For the State of Massachusetts, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)