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Symposium to explore legal and ethical limits on free speech

October 27, 2008

HALIFAX: The Joseph Howe Symposium will hit its sixth year with The Media's Right to Offend: Exploring Legal and Ethical Limits on Free Speech, a one-day conference on November 1, 2008, organized by the University of King's College School of Journalism and Calgary's Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership.

Legal, human rights and media experts from across Canada will discuss the legal and ethical limits on what Canadians can say and publish about sensitive issues such as race, religion, or sexual orientation. The symposium, which will be held in Alumni Hall on King's campus from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., will also feature a keynote address from Globe and Mail columnist Margaret Wente.

• Stephen Ward, the director of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin;
• Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, the director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s Freedom of Expression Project;
• Ezra Levant, a lawyer and former publisher of the Western Standard;
• Kelly Toughill, an associate professor of journalism at King's and Toronto Star columnist;
• Wayne MacKay, a Dalhousie Law School professor and expert in constitutional and human rights law;
• John Miller, the associate chair of the Ryerson School of Journalism in Toronto;
• David Swick, a lecturer on journalism ethics at King's.
• Krista Daley, Director and CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission 

All are welcome at this free event and lunch will be provided.

For more information:

• Event poster
• Print media coverage 
• VIDEO - The media's right to offend: Exploring legal and ethical limits on free speech, November 1, 2008
• Free speech won, but what about ethics?, By Stephen Ward, published in the Regina Leader-Post and Canada Free Press, November 3, 2008
• Hate speech and Canadian law (pdf), By Linda McKay-Panos, prepared for the Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership
• Human rights commissions still needed, By Janet Keeping, published in the Calgary Herald, January 23, 2008
• Freedom to offend by Stephen Ward
• Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission Lund v. Boissoin decision, November 30, 2007.  Decision on Remedy, May 30, 2008
• The future belongs to Islam By Mark Steyn, published in Maclean's, October 20, 2006
• Debate denied over Maclean's Muslim article By Naseem Mithoowani, et al, published in the Calgary Herald, December 29, 2007
• In rebuttal: Squashing debate like mosquitoes, By Mark Steyn, published in the Calgary Herald, January 2, 2008
• Freedom of speech our most fundamental right By Ezra Levant, published in the Calgary Herald, January 16, 2008
• BC Human Rights Tribunal Maclean's decision, October 10, 2008

• Media Releases