Contact details:

 

Daniel J. Henry
Barrister & Solicitor

10 Bucks Green Road
Thornhill, Ontario
L3T 4G2

 

Email: dh@danieljhenry.com

 

Phone: 416-930-4138

Seminars

Now, in the age of social media and the internet, almost all of us are publishers.  I believe there's a real need for members of the public, associations and organizations of all kinds to have access to the kind of training I can provide... on topics like defamation, copyright, publication bans, advertising and trade-mark law, internet issues...

If you believe members of your association or organization could benefit from a seminar designed just for you, e-mail me at dh@danieljhenry.com.

My teaching background:

I've been teaching media law for decades... to CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) journalists across Canada and beyond, in journalism and law schools across Canada as a guest lecturer, and in recent years as a sessional lecturer in media law and ethics at McMaster University in the Master of Communications Management program, Sheridan College's graduate program in Public Relations, and the University of Toronto's Faculty of Arts, Culture and Media.

Presentations

December 5, 2012 I was awarded the Vox Libera award from Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), for a lifetime of achievement in advancing free expression.  A video of the award presentation can now be viewed online, along with a transcript of my remarks.

Since then, I've continued to participate in seminars in the annual Ad IDEM / CMLA (Canadian Media Lawyers) media law conference... 

Publications

I've written extensively on media law issues. Here is a sample:

Media Law Website:

www.adidem.org - co-founder of Ad IDEM / Canadian Media Lawyers Association

Columns on cbc.ca:

Academic articles:

Free Expression and Publication Bans: Towards a more open criminal justice system, (2005) 19 N.J.C.L. 337

The Right to Know vs. The Right to Tell, (1998) 47 UNBLJ 207

Electronic Public Access To Court - An Idea Whose Time Has Come, (1994) Open Justice 389, CIAJ, (1996) Congres annuel du Barreau du Quebec 67

Open Justice and the Presumption of Innocence: A Response to a Proposed Ban on Identifying Those Accused of Sexual Crimes, 1 M.C.L.R. 127

Electronic Public Access to Court: A Proposal for its Implementation Today, The Media, The Courts and the Charter, Carswell, Anisman and Linden, 1986, p. 441

Pre-publication advice

For most of us, "free expression" or "free speech" rights feel absolute.  We say what's on our minds, and there are few, if any, consequences. The legal limits are irrelevant, and few learn what in fact they are.

In many ways that’s a great thing.  The feeling of liberation that comes with being able to say whatever you like, whenever you like, is fulfilling, therapeutic, and essential to being human. 

Most of us learn, though, that it’s not that simple.  Peer pressure and codes of ethics (personal, religious, or professional) guide what we say, and a variety of laws can restrict us, if they’re called into play. 

Journalists, publishers and broadcasters have understood this for a long time, but in recent years, the internet has changed the equation for everyone.  Social media have expanded the audience dramatically for our simplest thoughts.  Now, risks of a lawsuit or a prosecution are potentially everywhere.

The greatest risk for a democracy, though, is too much self-censorship, based on unwarranted fears of whatever legal risks might be out there. 

My goal is to help you put those legal risks in focus, and empower you to say what you want, confidently.  In most cases, you can say what you want, in strong language.  You just need to know the rules of the free speech road.

For over three decades in the Law Department at CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), I’ve helped communicators of all kinds (producers, reporters, writers, bloggers, photographers, videographers, editors, broadcast executives, spokespersons…) safely publish their thoughts, and, where necessary, obtain whatever rights were required to do so.  I can help you do the same.

Contact me for specific advice on content you're considering  broadcasting, posting, or publishing,

or consider if a Seminar would be right for you or your organization.