Thread · HN Continuity

Note that the US constitutional first amendment "freedom of speech and expression" and the Canadian charter's "freedom of expression" are not the same thing.

The Canadian charter explicitly allows for limits based on the (necessarily) vague concept of what a normal democratic society would consider fine, and what they would consider "how about you sit down, and reflect on what you just said because what the hell is wrong with you". And of course, context matters.

Calling a city worker something unpleasant because they refuse to issue a marriage license because of their personal beliefs is not the same as laying into someone because they're slow at their job, and berating a cop for punching a kid during an arrest is nothing like making sailors blush by yelling at a parking cop who's writing you a ticket because it's a minute past what you paid for.

Will some folks try to get fines issued as an obvious overreach? Yep. And that's what courts are for.