Animal advocates are celebrating after parts of a controversial Ontario agriculture law that made it illegal to get a job on a farm under false pretences to expose conditions inside were deemed unconstitutional.

Justice Markus Koehnen struck down parts of Bill 156, the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, earlier this month after advocacy group Animal Justice, along with an activist and a journalist, launched a Charter challenge in 2021.

They argued the new law infringed on their freedom of expression because they could not tell the outside world what was happening inside a farm if they gained access to the property through a false pretence.

  • wise_pancake@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    16
    ·
    edit-2
    2 months ago

    That’s sensible to me.

    If you need an anti whistleblowing law, that’s a red flag.

    I don’t agree entirely with animal rights activists, but the cases where criminal charges have been laid to me says this kind of activism does serve society.

    And this law sounds so open to abuse that it could effectively silence any whistleblowing in the entire industry. Like it or not, whistleblowing is a necessary function to keep the economy functioning fairly.

    • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      ·
      2 months ago

      If you need an anti whistleblowing law, that’s a red flag.

      100% this.

      Any company or industry that actively tries to get these laws instated should be investigated immediately, because they are doing some really, really bad things.

  • Beaver @lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    13
    ·
    2 months ago

    Let’s go!

    Classic conservatives have always been against freedom. Conservatives want free speech to include hate speech yet fervently support ag-gag laws, it’s all too hypocritical.

    If animal factory farming is so humane then let the whole world see.

  • Rentlar@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    9
    ·
    2 months ago

    From day 1 it was a terrible law reported on as the “ag-gag” law. Glad that part is overturned.

    The part that was upheld where you can’t forcibly interfere with trucks to feed the livestock is unfortunate but still reasonable, for the safety of protestors themselves around big rigs.