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Home / Cases and Law Reform / Issue Areas
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ISsue Area

Hate Speech and Online Hate

Hate speech violates the dignity rights of women and gender diverse people. The derision, hostility and abuse encouraged by hate speech have a profound negative effect on the individual’s sense of self-worth, dignity, and safety that form the foundation of their freedom to participate fully in democratic society. Women and gender diverse people, particularly those living at multiple intersections of oppression, face increased risks of being targeted by hate speech rooted in misogyny, sexism, racism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forces of oppression.  

As an intervener before the Supreme Court of Canada in its major hate speech cases including R v Keegstra , Canada (Canadian Human Rights Commission) v Taylor, and Saskatchewan (Human Rights Commission) v Whatcott, LEAF argued that challenges to the regulation of hate speech must consider and engage  equality rights as much as freedom of expression, since the willful promotion of group hatred fundamentally erodes the equality rights of members of the targeted group. Through these interventions, and in our work with experts from across Canada, LEAF has developed an expertise in the relationship between misogynist and sexist hate speech and gender equality.

LEAF has also developed an expertise in the gendered impact of online hate and technology-facilitated violence. LEAF is currently developing a position on the regulation of digital platforms from a gender equality perspective. We will continue to advocate for a safe and equal digital space for all.   

Discours de haine et haine enligne 

Le discours de haine viole les droits à la dignité des femmes et des personnes de divers genres. La dérision, l’hostilité et les abus encouragés par le discours de haine ont un effet négatif profond sur le sentiment d’estime de soi, de dignité et de sécurité de l’individu, fondement de sa liberté de participer pleinement à la société démocratique. Les femmes et les personnes de genres divers, en particulier celles qui vivent aux intersections multiples de l’oppression, sont confrontées à des risques accrus d’être ciblées par des discours de haine enracinés dans la misogynie, le sexisme, le racisme, le capacitisme, l’homophobie, la transphobie et d’autres forces d’oppression.  

En tant qu’intervenant devant la Cour suprême du Canada dans ses principales causes de discours de haine, notamment R c Keegstra,  Canada (Commission canadien des droits de la personne) c Taylor, et la Saskatchewan (Commission des droits de la personne) c Whatcott, Le FAEJ a fait valoir que les contestations contre la réglementation du discours de haine doivent prendre en compte et engager les droits à l’égalité autant que la liberté d’expression, car la promotion délibérée de la haine contre un groupe érode fondamentalement les droits à l’égalité des membres du groupe ciblé. Grâce à ces interventions et à notre travail avec des experts de partout au Canada, le FAEJ a développé une expertise dans la relation entre le discours de haine misogyne et sexiste et l’égalité des genres.  

Le FAEJ a également développé une expertise sur l’impact genré de la haine en ligne et de la violence facilitée par la technologie. Le FAEJ élabore actuellement une position sur la réglementation des plateformes numériques dans une perspective d’égalité des genres. Nous continuerons de plaider pour un espace numérique sûr et égal pour tous.

Related Projects

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Current Work

LEAF’s Technology-Facilitated Violence (TFV) Project

LEAF’s TFV project conducts research imagining legal responses to technology-facilitated gender-based violence
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Related Cases & Law Reform

Cases

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R. v. Jarvis (2019)

This case concerned the meaning of voyeurism under the Criminal Code, and students’ reasonable expectations of privacy in their schools.  LEAF intervened...

Saskatchewan (Human Rights Commission) v. Whatcott (2013)

This case concerned the prohibition of hate speech under the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.  LEAF intervened before the Supreme Court of...

Kane v. Alberta Report (2001, 2002)

This case looked at whether “opinion” could be hate speech.  LEAF intervened before the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, and before the Human Rights...

Kane et al. v. Church of Jesus Christ Christian-Aryan Nations et al. (1991) 

This case concerned whether the use of symbols and representations of white supremacy were discrimination under Alberta’s Individual Rights Protection Act.  With...
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Submissions

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Submission on Online Hate, to the Canadian Commission for Democratic Expression
LEAF submits brief to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights
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News

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LEAF Statement on the Conviction of the Toronto Van Attacker
LEAF files submission on online hate
See More
Cases and Law Reform
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    National Office
    180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1420
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    Phone: 416.595.7170
    Toll-free: 1.888.824.5323
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