The Democracy Fund lawyers will be in Toronto and Ottawa to provide legal information to ensure Canadians understand their rights to free expression.
TORONTO: The Democracy Fund (TDF) will be sending lawyers to Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill for tomorrow’s "1 Million March 4 Children" for the purpose of providing legal information and summary advice to attendees about the rights of free expression and peaceful protest.
TDF is prepared, if necessary, to liaise with the police for the sake of facilitating peaceful protest.
The march has been described as a “peaceful protest” for parents who are concerned about the spread of gender ideology and the distribution of sexualized materials in Canadian schools.
TDF supports the rights of all Canadians to peacefully protest. We also recognize that parents have the right to make choices for the education of their children. These rights, while not absolute, have been recognized by appellate courts in Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada and the Ontario Court of Appeal.
In particular, courts have recognized that the constitutional rights to freedom of religion and conscience include the rights of parents from all backgrounds to educate and rear their children in the tenets of their faith and beliefs. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) likewise provides that parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
As we have done in the past, when TDF sent lawyers to the Freedom Convoy protests and a Canada Day 2022 gathering, TDF will consider representing any person who has been criminally charged or ticketed in connection with peaceful protest if we suspect a constitutional right is at stake.
If you are attending the "1 Million March 4 Children" protest and need legal assistance, please email us at: [email protected]
About The Democracy Fund:
Founded in 2021, The Democracy Fund (TDF) is a Canadian charity dedicated to constitutional rights, advancing education and relieving poverty. TDF promotes constitutional rights through litigation and public education. TDF supports an access to justice initiative for Canadians whose civil liberties have been infringed by government lockdowns and other public policy responses to the pandemic.