The British Columbia Court of Appeal has ruled that the B.C. government’s proposed pre-election gag law is unconstitutional and an infringement on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The controversial law would have reduced the pre-election campaign spending period to just 40 days. Had the law passed, the restrictions would have severely limited the amount of political campaign advertising placed in newspapers across the province.
The British Columbia and Yukon Community Newspapers Association (BCYCNA) backed court’s decision. “The BCYCNA has long been a vocal critic of this flawed legislation,” said association president Steve Robertson. “Our association supports the freedom of political expression and are glad that BC’s top court echoed our sentiment.”
