CANADIAN L CIVIL IBERTIES ASSOCIATION

360 Bloor StreetWest, Suite 506 Toronto, ON M5S 1X1 (41 Telephone 6) 363-0321 F A X( 4 1 6 ) 6 1 - 1 2 9 1 8 E-mail:mail@ccla.org
EXSCUTII'E COMMITTEE HGcurrF coMrr6 Past Presidents Prsidenb prcdents JOHN NELUGAN, Q.C. MRIY W AiTHURS WAIIER PITMAN MARSI]A MNEN President Prsidot RICTIARDW POUND, Q.C, Yice-presidents vice-president(e)s FREDERIC BACTIAND JAMIE CAMERON MARLYS EDWARDH KAIHERINE GOVIER EDWARDL, GREENSPAN, Q.C, PAIRICIA JACKSON MAHMUD JAMAL JOHN D. MCCAMUS DELIA OPEKOKEW THE HON. HOWARD PAWLEY KENNETH P S\fAN DR, JOSEPH WONG Secretary Secrtalr

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ASSOCIATION C A N A D I E N N EE S D L I B R T EC I V I L E S E S
Bureau 360 rueBloor ouest, 506 Toronto, M5S1X1 ON (41 T6l6phone 6) 363-0321 -1 (41 T6l6copieur 6) 861 291 ; Courriel mail@ccla.orq

D r .A m i t C h a k m a P r e s i d e n t n dV i c e - C h a n c e l l o r a WesternUniversity Stevenson Hall,Suite2107 London, Ontario N6A588

AprilL7,2012 V I AE M A I L N D P O S T A D e a rD r .C h a k m a , I write on behalfof the Canadian CivilLiberties (CCLA)to Association express our concerns with recentactions takenby your institution against two community activists. According mediareports, would appear to it that WesternUniversity hasbannedtwo London protestors from the university campus one yearfor for "participating a prohibited in activity"-that is,atteriding proteston campus a that was peaceful, was not "approved." but The ccLA is a not-for-profit publicinterest advocacy organization that has existed since1964to promoteand defendthe fundamental freedoms all of canadians, including freedomof expression, peaceful assembly, the press. and one particular focusof cclA's work hasbeenthe protection free speech of on university campuses. such, As the CCLA concerned is that Westernundulylimits the abilityto proteston its premises; further,hasdecided punish and to i n d i v i d u a la n d d e n yt h e m t h e a b i l i t y o e n t e rt h e c a m p u s n t h e b a s i s f s t o o participation a peaceful protest, in particularly a contextwhereone may have in beenactingin a journalistic capacity.

Treasurer 116soriere EI.{INE SIATER Geneial Counsel Avocate gnle NAITIALIE DES ROSIERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONSEIL D'ADMINISTRATION FRANK ADDARIO JASMINE T. AI(BARALI THE HON, IVARREN AILMAND. Q.C. THE HON. RONAID ATKEY Q.C. LOUISE AUCOIN ISASEL BASSETT JOSEPH BOYDEN THE HON, EDWARDBROADBENT LEAH CASSELMAN ATOKE CFIATTERJEE DOMINIQUE CLEMENT JANE COBDEN DR. DEBBY COPES DAI{D CRONENBERG BRIAN A. N EDY VICKI GABEREAU THE HON. CONSTANCE CLUBE,Q.C. R. LOUIS GRXENSPAN HUSSEIN HAMDANI JULIA IIANIGSBERG SHIRLEY HEAFEY JAMEEL JAFFER IIARISH JAIN JANET KEEPING JEAN-PIERRE KINGSLEY JOY KOCAVA ANNE La FOREST ESTELLE LAMOURETX DR, CYRIL LEVITT ANDRE'W LOKAN DEEPAMEH1A CINDY MURDOCH JON OLIVER PENELOPE ROWE PAUL SCHABAS MARVIN SCHIFF MARK STEVENSON MAxrE-E\,aBsYLVEsrRr WATTER THOMPSON THT WRY REV LOIS VII^SON FRANK VORK Q.C. GeneEl Cou$el Emeritus Avo@t gnftI mdte A. AI-A.N BOROVOY

Ottawa Office 160 ElginStreet, Suite2600, Ottawa,ON Kl P 1C3 T e l .( 6 1 3 ) 3 0 - 2 6 1 3 a x( 6 1 3 )5 6 3 - 9 8 6 9 2 F

Bureaud'Ottawa 160 rue Elgin,Bureau 2600, Ottawa,ON Kl P 1C3 T6l. (613)230-2613 T6l6c.(613)563-9869

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A ban suchasthis one,stemming protest,is incompatible from participation peaceful in with the functionof a university, matterwhat the subject no matterof the protestis,or how many c o m p l a i n tw e r e r e c e i v e d y c a m p u s o l i c e r a d m i n i s t r a t i o U.n i v e r s i t i e s e u n i q u e l y s p b o n ar situated educate to their communities aboutthe needto protectfreedomof speech andto facilitate open,thoughtful, and evendisturbing dialogue and debateon what are oftenthe mostcontentious issues our day.A fundamental of roleof universities to provide is settings in whichideas and opinions can be freelyexpressed orderto further publicdiscourse, to in not l i m i ti t . lf criminal peoplecan be charged actsare committedin the course protestactivities, of for them. But outside theseactions, of there is no reason denyentryto members the to of participate activities community who wishto in that are vitalto our democracy, suchas political journalistic and expression. exercising powerto denyentryto campus, university In its the s s h o u l d e g u i d e d y p r i n c i p l eo f f a i r n e s s ,u e p r o c e s s ,n dt h e p r o t e c t i o n f f u n d a m e n t a l b b d a o l i b e r t i e s n c l u d i n f r e e d o m f e x p r e s s i oa n dt h e p r e s s . i, g o n In this context, are concerned we that Westernmay not haveactedin a just and balanced s m a n n e rl.t a p p e a r t o h a v ef a i l e d o e n s u r e a i r n e s a n d d u e p r o c e s i n a r r i v i n g t i t s d e c i s i o n s t f s a t o i s s u eh e b a n s ; n d i t h a sf a i l e di n i t s r e s p o n s i b i l itto w a r d s h e m a i n t e n a n co f a f r e ea n d t a y t e protection democratic society throughthe vigorous and encouragement the exercise of of freedomof the press, freedomof peaceful assembly freedomof expression campus. and on your decision. We inviteyou to reconsider

Sincerely,

N a t h a l i e e sR o s i e r s D G e n e r aC o u n s e l l