A Possible Appointee to Ontario's Human Rights Tribunal Says Journalism Should Be Subject to Human Rights Laws

On August 18, 2008, during an interview for the position of Vice-Chair of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, an Ontario lawyer took an interesting position (that may cost him the appointment). A candidate for one of the top jobs at the new Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario told a government committee yesterday he thinks print journalism should be subject to racial discrimination complaints.  In answer to a question, he responded ""... if there is some sort of discrimination that comes out in the reporting that is arguably contrary to the code, then I would also feel that it would be open to a complainant to challenge the reporting as being discriminatory on the grounds of race,...

Lisa MacLeod, who led the Tory (Conservatives) questioning, said in an interview she has been inspired by the recent failed human rights case against Ezra Levant and the Western Standard for publishing the Danish Muhammad cartoons."

This is an interesting development in the area of freedom of the press.  I hope this will lead to an active discussion of the merits of restricting journalistic freedom to write or editors to print what would be viewed by more than just the politically correct to be discriminatory, racist, sexist, or hateful.