Butler v. Her Majesty the Queen (1992)

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Butler, a Manitoba video store owner, was convicted under the Criminal Code obscenity law for distributing pornographic videos. He claimed his constitutional right to freedom of expression was violated. The Supreme Court of Canada agreed with LEAF that pornography harms women and children and furthers sex inequality. It recognized the connection between pornography and violence against women. It said that "degrading and dehumanizing materials place women in positions of subordination, servile submission or humiliation. They run against the principles of equality and dignity for all human beings."

The Court upheld the obscenity law as a justifiable restriction on freedom of expression.

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Supreme Court of Canada Decision (1992)