In her 2020 ruling, Justice Darlene Jamieson decided that licence plates are not public spaces with a history of free expression, adding the registrar recalled the plate because it could be interpreted as a socially unacceptable statement without the benefit of further context that isn t provided on licence plates.
Under provincial regulations, Nova Scotia s registrar can refuse to issue personalized licence plates if the proposed combination of characters expresses or implies a word, phrase or idea that could be considered offensive or not in good taste. Anonymous busybody constraining freedom, says lawyer
Bildy told the panel that fundamental freedoms protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms have been increasingly constrained under the guise of keeping Canadians safe from words or ideas that others have decided they shouldn t be exposed to.
The Globe and Mail Keith Doucette Bookmark Please log in to listen to this story. Also available in French and Mandarin. Log In Create Free Account
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Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press
Lawyers for a Nova Scotia man fighting a decision to revoke a personalized licence plate bearing his surname – Grabher – say the case is about fundamental rights and is no trivial matter.
Lorne Grabher’s Nova Scotia plate, which he had for nearly 30 years, was revoked by the province’s Registrar of Motor Vehicles in December, 2016, after it received a complaint saying the sign promoted hatred toward women.