Censored: A Permanent Injunction on The Truth
by Don Staniford - Green Around the Gills
On 22 July 2013, the BC Supreme Court of Appeal delivered a hammer blow to freedom of speech in Canada and around the world.In granting a permanent injunction to the Norwegian Government-owned corporation Cermaq (the parent company of subsidiaries Mainstream Canada and EWOS Canada – the plaintiff in the “Salmon Farming Kills” lawsuit), over 50 statements including “Wild Salmon Don’t Do Drugs”, “Friends Don’t Let Friends Eat Farmed Salmon” and “Salmon Farming Kills Sea Lions” were ruled illegal (read below for a list of all statements now censored).
Chillingly, the terms of the permanent injunction are so broad that ANY person or company with knowledge of the terms of the order must remove “any and all of the Defamatory words”.
By cravenly kowtowing to the Norwegian Government-owned corporation, the Canadian courts have effectively muzzled global criticism.
Cermaq’s lawyers identified 10 days as a deadline to comply with the Draconian terms of the permanent injunction. In other words, CBC News, The Canadian Press, The Vancouver Sun, The Royal Society of London, Science and any person or company who has made any of the 52 statements now deemed defamatory has until 1 August to remove them or they would be in contempt of court.
Cermaq’s ‘Amended Notice of Civil Claim’ (filed in July 2011) referred to a “permanent injunction”:
Appeal documents filed by Cermaq’s lawyers in January 2013 also stated:
On the last day of the 20-day trial in February 2012, Cermaq's lawyers further detailed the Draconian terms of the injunction - referred to as the 'No Future Defamation Term'. The permanent injunction related not only to the Defendant, Don Staniford, and the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture but also to ANY person or company aware of the injunction i.e. the general public and the media:
Cermaq’s lawyers at Fasken Martineau defined the 'Defamatory Words' in their Amended Notice of Civil Claim. By stating in the judgment (22 July 2013) - “I would grant the injunction requested in Mainstream’s amended notice of civil claim” – the BC Supreme Court therefore ruled the following words (52 statements in total) illegal:
Read more about the ramifications for news reporting and social media via “Censorship Like A Cancer Grows”
[Download article as a PDF online here]
Read more on the 'Salmon Farming Kills' lawsuit via:
SLAPP in the Face of Freedom of Speech!
Judgment Day - 22 July!
See You In Court! Tuesday (28 May) in the BC Court of Appeal!
Censorship Like A Cancer Grows
Norway Tightens Noose on Free Speech!
Cermaq - see you in court (again)!
Cermaq Like A Cancer Grows - The Sound of Cermaq's SLAPP
Norway’s Injunction Kills Free Speech!
Gagging the Truth Becomes Mainstream
Closing Norway's Noose on Freedom of Speech
Cermaq's Clusterfuck
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