Canadians: Tell Ontario legislature to stop power-grab by chief electoral officer
(LifeSiteNews) — A top legal group is helping a Canadian man seek justice at an international commission after he was arrested for holding a pro-life sign outside an abortion facility almost 30 years ago.
In a November 21 press release, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International announced it is representing British Columbia resident Jim Demers, who is seeking justice at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights after being arrested for holding a sign outside an abortion clinic in 1996.
“ADF International is proud to stand with Jim as he seeks justice in his case at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights,” Tomás Henríquez, lead lawyer on this case for ADF International said.
“The Commission has slept on Jim’s case for almost 20 years. We call on the Commission to rule decisively that these actions by Canadian authorities violated Jim’s fundamental right to freedom of speech,” he continued.
“Both international law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantee the fundamental right to freedom of expression,” Henríquez decalred. “As we grapple with the spread of censorship across the globe, this case presents an opportunity for our human rights watchdogs to reassert the very rights they were established to defend.”
In 1996, Demers was arrested for silently standing outside an abortion clinic, holding a sign quoting the American Convention on Human Rights: “Every person has the right to have his life respected.”
Demers was arrested for violating B.C.’s “bubble zone law,” which restrict pro-life speech within a certain distance from abortion clinics.
The activities banned within these zones include sidewalk counseling or “interference,” protesting, besetting, physically interfering or attempting to interfere with, and intimidating or attempting to intimidate doctors, facility personnel or women seeking abortions.
After two months in jail, Demers was criminally convicted and given a suspended sentence of two years, subject to the condition of not returning to the public area surrounding the abortion facility.
Following his sentencing, Demers appealed his case to the B.C. Court of Appeal, arguing that the bubble zone infringed on his right to freedom of expression under the Charter.
He further argued that human embryos are included in the Charter provision which says, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.”
However, his appeal was rejected, leading Demers to take his case to the Supreme Court of Canada, which also failed to bring justice.
Finally, in 2004, Demers took his case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. While the Commission accepted his case in 2006, it has yet to rule almost 20 years later.
While the case is nearly 30 years old, Demers stressed the importance of defending the truth and refusing to back down.
“I hope I’m never silent when bad things are happening, and I hope nobody else is silent either when bad things are happening,” he said. “I have dedicated my life to speaking out in defense of the unborn, and because of this, I was criminally convicted and even spent time in jail.”
“I have waited for almost 20 years for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to rule on my unjust conviction over the exercise of my freedom, and that of all people, to stand up, speak truth, and defend those that cannot defend themselves,” he continued.
“I am grateful to ADF International for its efforts to bring this ordeal to an end. I will continue to advocate for the right to life of every person and look forward to the day when I can speak up without fear of criminal prosecution and punishment in Canada,” Demers declared.
Canadians: Tell Ontario legislature to stop power-grab by chief electoral officer