A court action was settled in favour of a pro-life activist apprehended for distributing pro-life literature on campus. Nicholas McLeod of the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform was ordered to stop handing out the pamphlets at Mount Royal University (MRU) on Feb. 19, 2013, by a security guard, who found it “offensive.” McLeod refused, citing R. v. Whatcott, an Alberta ruling which protected the right of individuals to distribute literature on campus. Shortly after, a group of security guards threw McLeod to the ground, put him in handcuffs, and kept him in a small room for hours, his hands still cuffed behind his back.
McLeod took the university to court when it refused to apologize or negotiate a settlement. He sued MRU for unnecessary use of force, unlawful detention, and violation of Charter rights.
He was represented by John Carpay, lawyer and president of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms. The action ended with a written apology from MRU president David Doherty for the behaviour of the security guards and the violation of free speech rights.
Docherty stated in the letter from Oct. 31, 2014, that “supplemental training will be conducted to ensure that community officers understand the interaction between the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and other duties in maintaining a safe campus environment.” MRU’s security manager was also replaced.
“They made the settlement offer and we accepted it because they said unreservedly that what happened was wrong and they would make sure that it didn’t happen again,” McLeod told LifeSiteNews.
Moreover, McLeod said he is pleased that CCBR interns will now be able to hold their Choice Chain in MRU’s hallways. “The hard work of John Carpay and the JCCF is contributing so much to the pro-life movement that we now have unprecedented access to these areas to reach students and convert them to the pro-life view,” he said.
“Taxpayer-funded universities ought to be safe places for free expression. Dr. Docherty should be commended for his leadership in this regard,” said Carpay in a statement.
