An alliance of more than 100 organizations and individuals in journalism, academia and civil society are endorsing an open letter calling for the Province of Alberta to adopt anti-SLAPP legislation to protect freedom of expression and democratic participation in Alberta.
The open letter and full list of co-signers is available at the website: https://antislappalberta.ca/. The letter calls attention to the growing number of legal threats and lawsuits targeting journalists and free expression on issues of public interest.
“In a democracy, public debate should be settled through evidence, scrutiny, and counterargument and not by whoever can afford the most expensive legal campaign,” said Brent Jolly, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ).
“When undertaken with proper consultation and with non-partisan oversight, effective anti-SLAPP legislation can serve as a vital ‘anti-bully’ tool that frees the courts from wasting time and taxpayers’ money on vexatious lawsuits designed to intimidate and silence critics from speaking the truth.”
There is currently no legislation enabling courts in the Province of Alberta to dismiss Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (or “SLAPP” lawsuits). However, such legislation already exists in the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Manitoba, which was adopted this past December with cross-party support.
SLAPP lawsuits are legal actions designed to intimidate and silence critics through the threat of expensive and time-consuming litigation. These legal actions are often frivolous, abusive or politically-motivated and often target journalists, media organizations and others who speak up on issues of public interest.
Alberta has seen a growing number of lawsuits over the last decade involving politically-connected individuals as plaintiffs and journalists, academics and other critics as defendants.
Anti-SLAPP legislation creates an important step in the legal process that gives courts an opportunity to assess the merits and motives of a legal action at an early stage of proceedings, potentially sparing individuals and organizations targeted by SLAPP lawsuits from lengthy and expensive trials.
“This legislation protects journalists and everyone else who speaks up in our democracy by creating a powerful deterrent against those using frivolous and politically motivated lawsuits to silence critics and instill fear in those who participate in public debate,” the open letter states.
“It also prevents taxpayer dollars and limited court resources from being wasted on issues that should be debated in public, not litigated in court.”
The open letter was spearheaded by the Canadian Association of Journalists and is co-signed by dozens of Alberta-focused news organizations and associations representing news publishers and broadcasters in Alberta, including the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association, Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, News Media Canada, RTDNA Canada and Press Forward.
The letter is also endorsed by national and international press freedom groups, including Reporters Without Borders, PEN Canada, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, Journalists for Human Rights and the Canada Press Freedom Project, as well as academic associations such as J-Schools Canada and the Canadian Association of University Teachers.
Backgrounder on Anti-SLAPP legislation:
https://cfe.torontomu.ca/guidesadvice/anti-slapp-legislation-backgrounder
Media Contact:
Brent Jolly, President – Canadian Association of Journalists
brent@caj.ca
The Canadian Association of Journalists is the country’s largest professional organization that serves to advance the interests of journalists from coast to coast to coast. The CAJ’s primary roles are public-interest advocacy work and professional development for its members.
For further information: Brent Jolly, president, Canadian Association of Journalists, brent@caj.ca