Pual – you are not entirely correct. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, made part of the Canadian Constitution in 1982, does provide, in Section 2:
FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS.
2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
(a) freedom of conscience and religion;
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
(d) freedom of association.
This is tempered, however, by Section 1:
RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS IN CANADA.
1. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.
How those two interact is something that tends to end up in the courts. While the Canadian Supreme Court has upheld the “hate speech” portions of the Criminal Code, it was usually by narrow votes, and was subject to pretty serious scrutiny.
Canada’s protection of freedom of (unpopular or un-PC) speech has not been universally good, but it is wrong to say there is no protection. Rather, smart, involved people need to work to expand and cement that protection, and to work for the repeal of Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act and similar legislation which is clearly contrary to the words of the Charter.
