2011-2012 CJFE's Review of Free Expression in Canada
2011-2012 CJFE’s Review of Free Expression in Canada LETTER FROM THE EDITORS OH, HOW THE MIGHTY FALL. ONCE A LEADER IN ACCESS TO INFORMATION, PEACEKEEPING, HUMAN RIGHTS AND MORE, CANADA’S GLOBAL STOCK HAS PLUMMETED IN RECENT YEARS. This Review begins, as always, with a Report Card that grades key issues, institutions and governmental departments in terms of how their actions have affected freedom of expres- sion and access to information between May 2011 and May 2012. This year we’ve assessed Canadian scientists’ freedom of expression, federal protection of digital rights and Internet JOIN CJFE access, federal access to information, the Supreme Court, media ownership and ourselves—the Canadian public. Being involved with CJFE is When we began talking about this Review, we knew we wanted to highlight a major issue with a series of articles. There were plenty of options to choose from, but we ultimately settled not restricted to journalists; on the one topic that is both urgent and has an impact on your daily life: the Internet. Think about it: When was the last time you went a whole day without accessing the membership is open to all Internet? No email, no Skype, no gaming, no online shopping, no Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, no news websites or blogs, no checking the weather with that app. Can you even who believe in the right to recall the last time you went totally Net-free? Our series on free expression and the Internet (beginning on p. 18) examines the complex free expression. relationship between the Internet, its users and free expression, access to information, legislation and court decisions.
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