Centre for Free Expression

The latest episode of The Centre for Free Expression Podcast, on whistleblowing in medicine, is out now.

Wrongdoing in medicine is all too common, with punishment typically reserved for those who speak up about it, writes leading American bioethicist, Carl Elliott, in his new book, The Occasional Human Sacrifice: Medical Experimentation and the Price of Saying No. Join Carl in conversation with Nancy Olivieri, eminent Canadian physician, medical researcher, and whistleblower as they describe the troubling reluctance in medicine to act in the interests of their patients and the public and explore what can be done about it.

This conversation occurred on May 15, 2024 and was co-sponsored by Edmonton Public Library, Toronto Public Library, and Vancouver Public Library.

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📣 Check out our latest blog post, "Democracy, Access to Information, and Young People’s Right to Information," by CFE Scholar-in-Residence Toni Samek.

Samek examines how government intervention, organized censorship campaigns and cuts to library services are increasingly limiting access to information across Canada.

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The latest episode of The Centre for Free Expression Podcast, on censorship in schools and libraries, is out now.

In his book, On Book Banning, Wells begins with his astonishment when the principal in his children’s school wanted to get rid of “all the old books” as being too Eurocentric, too male, too heteronormative. While understanding these concerns, he felt the solution was wrong. In his engaging exploration of censorship and the common goals of censors of all persuasions, Wells looks at the consequences for human development, for art, and for democracy. Listen to Ira, the Academic Program Director at Victoria College - University of Toronto, in conversation with for Free Expression Director Turk, at this time when censorship is becoming popular and pervasive.

This conversation occurred on Feb. 26, 2025 and was co-sponsored by Edmonton Public Library, PEN Canada, Toronto Public Library, and Vancouver Public Library.

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Public libraries have long been champions of intellectual freedom. What happens when the government orders them to censor books?

In a new blog post, CFE Director James L. Turk examines Alberta's unprecedented public library censorship regulations, the legal questions they raise, and the difficult choices now facing libraries.

🔗 Read here: https://buff.ly/G3zFtow

The latest episode of The Centre for Free Expression Podcast, on Bill C-36 and protecting Canadians' privacy, is out now.

New corporate technologies for mass surveillance and gathering personal data endanger personal privacy as never before. AI can analyze vast amounts of data, making it easier to identify patterns, infer personal characteristics, and exploit information in ways that were previously impossible or prohibitively expensive. The federal government’s answer is a highly controversial new bill [C-36, the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act]. Is it the answer to the problem or will it make matters worse? Does it provide the greater privacy protection Canadians need and deserve?

CFE asked two of Canada’s leading privacy experts to discuss what is needed to protect Canadians privacy, how the new legislation measures up, and what should be done now.

Tamir Israel is Director of the Privacy, Surveillance, and Technology Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

Teresa Scassa is the Canada Research Chair in Information Law and Policy at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law and a 2024 winner of the Piccaso Award celebrating privacy leadership around the world.

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📣 Check out our latest blog post, "Misinformation alert: reducing corruption improves productivity and well-being, not the reverse," by CFE Senior Fellow David Hutton.

Responding to a recent Toronto Star opinion piece, Hutton argues that the evidence points in the opposite direction: countries with stronger anti-corruption systems are more productive, more prosperous and report higher levels of well-being. He also examines Canada's declining anti-corruption record and says that stronger whistleblower protections are essential to holding institutions accountable.

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An Ontario school board that refused to release information on its small art collection because of supposed safety concerns has been selected as the municipal winner of the 2025 Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy.

“It is shocking that the Thames Valley District School Board declined to provide information to the public about its modest art collection — likely consisting of items donated by the public and maintained at public expense,” said CFE Director James L. Turk.

The Code of Silence Awards are presented annually by the Association of Journalists, the for Free Expression, and Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE). The awards call public attention to government or publicly-funded agencies that work hard to hide information to which the public has a right to under access to information legislation.

Nominations for the 2026 Code of Silence Awards will open in September 2026.

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No Mona Lisas here: Thames Valley school board wins Code of Silence Award over secret art collection | Centre for Free Expression An Ontario school board that refused to release information on its small art collection because of supposed safety concerns has been selected as the municipal winner of the 2025 Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy.

The latest episode of The Centre for Free Expression Podcast, on the impacts of the rising use of Section 33, is out now.

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms made Canada a constitutional democracy in which unelected courts, not elected legislatures, have the final say about rights and freedoms. Yet Section 33 (the Notwithstanding Clause) was built in to let governments override the courts on certain matters. That clause has been contentious ever since – never more than now when it is increasingly being invoked to deny key democratic freedoms and human rights. Tune in to panel of leading legal experts to explore what’s a stake, what options are possible, and what they would mean for the future of Canada’s democracy.

Panelists: Eric Adams (Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta),
Anaïs Bussières McNicoll (Director, Fundamental Freedom Program, Canadian Civil Liberties Association), Richard Moon (Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Law, University of Windsor)

Moderator: James L. Turk (Director, Centre for Free Expression)

This conversation occurred on Dec. 10, 2025 and was co-sponsored by Centre for Constitutional Studies and PEN Canada.

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