While Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to incorporate Canada into the EU (European Union), one of his major cities — Montreal — has taken his initiative to a new level, copying the exemptions to France’s Freedom of the Press guarantee.
Articles 30 and 31 of that legislation specifically criminalize defamation or public insults directed against public officials, including government ministers, members of parliament, and civil servants. Fines for defaming a public official can reach up to €45,000.
This month, Montreal’s City Council adopted a municipal bylaw banning insults, aggressive language, and harassment directed toward police officers, transit workers, and city staff. The bylaw targets insults, harassment, and abusive behavior, allowing municipal workers to refuse service to citizens who display offensive or aggressive conduct — or to bring civil charges.
Fines for insulting or verbally abusing municipal employees range from $300 to $1,000 for a first offense, and up to $2,000 for subsequent offenses.
The big problem is that the bylaw never defines insult, so an official could charge someone for, for example, saying the official looks tired or should dress better on the job.
