HAVE YOUR SAY!
The Government Operations Committee invites you to take part in a public hearing on Bill 46: Prevention of Proceedings That Hamper Expression on Matters of Public Interest Act.
The Committee will be publicly briefed on the bill by its sponsor MLA George Nerysoo and the Honourable Jay Macdonald, Minister of Justice and is also seeking input from the public. Members of the public are encouraged to attend and share their views on the proposed legislation, which aims to encourage individuals to express themselves on matters of public interest and to discourage the use of litigation as a means of unduly limiting this expression.
What is Bill 46 about?
- Bill 46 is similar to other “anti-SLAPP”—Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation—legislation enacted in Ontario, British Columbia, and Manitoba.
- Bill 46 would establish a process that allows for a defendant to apply for early dismissal of the lawsuit if it qualifies as a SLAPP. If the defendant demonstrates that the lawsuit arises from an expression they made related to a matter of public interest, the plaintiff would then have to prove that the proceeding has substantial merit, the defendant has no valid defence, and the harm caused by the expression is serious enough that the public interest in continuing the lawsuit outweighs the public interest in protecting said expression. Failure by the plaintiff to prove these three conditions will result in the judge dismissing the proceeding.
Read the plain language summary of Bill 46 here.
Participate by:
- Attending in person to share your views during the hearing;
- Submitting a written submission to @email by Friday, July 3;
Watching live online at www.ntassembly.ca, or the Assembly’s Facebook page or YouTube channel.