The Public Service Alliance of Canada, Quebec Region (PSAC-Quebec) applauds Justice Patrick Ferland’s recent Superior Court decision refusing to grant McGill University’s interlocutory injunction, which stood to severely limit freedom of expression and right of association.
“As a union, we were driven to react to this major affront to free speech and the right to assemble,” said Sébastien Paquette, Executive Vice-President for PSAC-Quebec. “If the injunction had been granted, it would have severely interfered with our ability to mobilize members for collective bargaining or strike action. The dismissal of McGill’s motion is a victory for democracy.”
On September 18 and 19, McGill University argued before Justice Ferland at the Montreal courthouse seeking an interlocutory injunction against an unofficial student group called Students for Palestine’s Honour and Resistance. The findings sought by McGill University would have limited the right to protest of any person having knowledge of the judgment, with a view to preventing excessive noise that could interfere with academic activities, ensuring access to academic buildings was not obstructed, and banning protests from forming within five metres of an academic building. These outcomes would have limited the mobilization of three McGill PSAC units: AMUSE, AMURE, and MUNACA. All three intervened in the motion, contributing to its dismissal.