Legal clinics launch court challenge against Montreal bylaw barring people from insulting

Legal clinics are challenging the City of Montreal’s new bylaw against insulting police officers and other municipal employees, seeking to have it declared invalid and its application stayed.

The clinics announced the legal challenge Wednesday, arguing the bylaw violates freedom of expression and could enable police to discriminate people based on political beliefs.

“We believe this bylaw stifles freedom of expression and risks creating further tension and repression,” lawyer Béatrice Allard of l’Association des juristes progressistes said in a statement.