- Thread starter
- Staff
- #1
Dadparvar
Staff member
- Nov 11, 2016
- 10,688
- 0
- 6
British Columbia’s (BC) attorney general introduced two bills on Monday that effectively ban protests near schools and places of public worship in order to preserve public access and maintain public safety.
In a press conference, BC Premier David Eby said the bills come in response to “disturbing events targeting Jewish and other religious communities.”
Currently the Safe Access to Schools Act bans protests and other activities that impede access to school buildings within 20 meters of a facility. These “access zones” are in effect between 7 AM and 6 PM during school days and during extracurricular activities. The new legislation, if passed, would extend the act’s sunset clause from June 2026 to June 2028.
The Safe Access to Places of Public Worship Act, if passed, would establish similar access zones around places of worship. The act would ban any activities that impede access to the places of worship or other disruptive activities within 20 meters. Instead of establishing zones through the provincial lieutenant governor, the bill requires owners to erect clear signs at facility entrances.
The legislation authorizes police officers to arrest any individuals without a warrant, should officers believe on reasonable grounds that an individual has violated an access zone restriction.
Opponents have contended that certain access zone laws violate constitutional rights to free speech and protest. When Toronto enacted a similar bylaw to protect places of worship in 2025, the BC Civil Liberties Association warned that the bylaw would suppress Palestine solidarity. Christine Van Geyn, Canadian Constitution Foundation’s executive director, argued that the Criminal Code–including public incitement of hatred and other violence-related provisions–and private injunctions already sufficiently protect these premises.
The BC Office of the Premier stated that more than 40 protests have taken place outside K-12 schools since 2023. The 2024 ban on protests outside schools was prompted by demonstrations opposing sexual orientation and gender identity programs. On the other hand, police reported hate crimes linked to religion in BC increased by more than 50 percent from 2022 to 2023, prompting the province to expand its hate crimes unit in July 2025. Hate crimes linked to sexual orientation also rose by 43 percent in the same period.
Several religious leaders welcomed the bill, including the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. “Freedom of expression is a fundamental right, but it does not mean that communities should face harassment or intimidation for practicing their culture, worshipping, or providing services to their most vulnerable,” the group said.
The province has previously enacted similar legislation to ensure safe access to abortion services. The BC Court of Appeal unanimously upheld access zones of 50 meters around abortion clinics, holding that the law is a justified limitation on free speech to guarantee safe and unimpeded access to healthcare.
Relatedly, the UK Supreme Court upheld access zones of 100 meters from abortion clinics in 2018, ruling that the law is consistent with the right to free speech under the European Convention on Human Rights.
The post British Columbia to ban protests near schools and places of worship appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.
In a press conference, BC Premier David Eby said the bills come in response to “disturbing events targeting Jewish and other religious communities.”
Currently the Safe Access to Schools Act bans protests and other activities that impede access to school buildings within 20 meters of a facility. These “access zones” are in effect between 7 AM and 6 PM during school days and during extracurricular activities. The new legislation, if passed, would extend the act’s sunset clause from June 2026 to June 2028.
The Safe Access to Places of Public Worship Act, if passed, would establish similar access zones around places of worship. The act would ban any activities that impede access to the places of worship or other disruptive activities within 20 meters. Instead of establishing zones through the provincial lieutenant governor, the bill requires owners to erect clear signs at facility entrances.
The legislation authorizes police officers to arrest any individuals without a warrant, should officers believe on reasonable grounds that an individual has violated an access zone restriction.
Opponents have contended that certain access zone laws violate constitutional rights to free speech and protest. When Toronto enacted a similar bylaw to protect places of worship in 2025, the BC Civil Liberties Association warned that the bylaw would suppress Palestine solidarity. Christine Van Geyn, Canadian Constitution Foundation’s executive director, argued that the Criminal Code–including public incitement of hatred and other violence-related provisions–and private injunctions already sufficiently protect these premises.
The BC Office of the Premier stated that more than 40 protests have taken place outside K-12 schools since 2023. The 2024 ban on protests outside schools was prompted by demonstrations opposing sexual orientation and gender identity programs. On the other hand, police reported hate crimes linked to religion in BC increased by more than 50 percent from 2022 to 2023, prompting the province to expand its hate crimes unit in July 2025. Hate crimes linked to sexual orientation also rose by 43 percent in the same period.
Several religious leaders welcomed the bill, including the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. “Freedom of expression is a fundamental right, but it does not mean that communities should face harassment or intimidation for practicing their culture, worshipping, or providing services to their most vulnerable,” the group said.
The province has previously enacted similar legislation to ensure safe access to abortion services. The BC Court of Appeal unanimously upheld access zones of 50 meters around abortion clinics, holding that the law is a justified limitation on free speech to guarantee safe and unimpeded access to healthcare.
Relatedly, the UK Supreme Court upheld access zones of 100 meters from abortion clinics in 2018, ruling that the law is consistent with the right to free speech under the European Convention on Human Rights.
The post British Columbia to ban protests near schools and places of worship appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.