Judge Says University Ban on Whatcott Unconstitutional
Calgary Herald, Nov 15 2011 – An Edmonton man’s charter right to freedom of expression was infringed when he was charged with trespassing for distributing anti-gay pamphlets at the University of Calgary more than three years ago, a judge has ruled.
In his written decision released on Tuesday, provincial court Judge John Bascom issued a judicial stay of the July 25, 2008, trespassing violation against William Whatcott. An indefinite ban against Whatcott from setting foot on the campus, stemming from a similar incident on Jan. 16, 2005, when Whatcott was cited for handing out anti-abortion flyers, was also lifted. “Preventing the peaceful distribution of leaflets that an individual attendee finds offensive does not relate to an objective that is pressing and substantial,” Bascom said in his written decision. Keep reading
