David Charney

Canada’s criminal libel laws threaten free speech, says Ryerson journalism professor

By MAIJA KAPPLER Special to the RJRC An archaic Canadian law against criminal libel is being used with increasing frequency to shut down political dissent and criticism of police officers, judges and powerful institutions, new research by Ryerson University journalism professor Lisa Taylor suggests. Convictions for criminal libel averaged 18 cases per year between 2005 and 2008, Taylor found. She…