New bill to prevent the improper use of the courts

Bill 9 - An Act to amend the Code of Civil Procedure to prevent improper use of the courts and promote freedom of expression and citizen participation in public debate - was filed on April 7 by the Minister of Justice Kathleen Weil.

Although Bill 9 is heavily inspired by the deceased Bill 99, the Publishing team Écosociété notes with satisfaction that the Minister took into account a number of claims made by various groups who took part in the parliamentary commitee before the election. The bill would namely apply to pending cases, those that are currently before the courts.

However, the filing of a bill does not guarantee a speedy passage. The most important is that the legislative process be initiated in the coming days. Over thirty groups have already been heard twice on this subject, other public hearings would only delay the adoption of the law. MPs know our demands. They must now take the next step: improve and adopt Bill 9. As the League of Rights and Freedoms, the Association québécoise de lutte against atmospheric pollution (AQLPA) and the Quebec environmental groups (RQGE), Éditions Écosociété requests that the criteria for granting the reserves for contingencies be expanded to allow better access to justice, that the government set up a fund for victims and provide a mechanism to revise the law to ensure its effectiveness in the futur.

Finally, Éditions Écosociété and its partners in this case wish to commend the outstanding work of the Association québécoise de lutte contre la pollution atmosphérique (AQLPA), chaired by André Bélisle. The first group to have reported the detrimental effect of SLAPP on debates of public interest initiated by groups and citizens of Quebec, AQLPA has been campaigning since 2005 for the adoption of a law to counter such practices.