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Montréal Court Hears Bid to Suspend City's Anti-Insult Bylaw
Montreal's new bylaw banning insults toward city employees, including police, with fines up to C$2,000, faces a suspension bid: a progressive jurists association and the St-Michel legal clinic argued Thursday before Quebec Superior Court.
Why it matters
This is the first big-city fine regime in Quebec targeting "insults" against public employees, with penalties up to C$2,000. Supporters call it protection for front-line staff; critics warn the word "insult" is vague and risks selective enforcement. Whether the court suspends it will shape the fate of this contentious bylaw.
In court
On Thursday, Oct 22, lawyers for a progressive jurists association and the St-Michel legal clinic asked Quebec Superior Court to suspend Montreal's recently adopted bylaw. Presiding Justice Eleni Yiannakis clarified she was ruling only on the injunction (suspension) request — not on the bylaw's constitutionality. The city's lawyers presented its defence in the afternoon session. The injunction test turns on a serious question to be tried, the risk of irreparable harm, and the balance of convenience.
Full report
Adopted by Montreal city council in recent weeks, the bylaw targets "insults, harassment, threats, intimidation" toward on-duty municipal employees, including police officers. According to Reason magazine (Oct 12), first-offence fines run C$300–$1,000, rising to C$2,000 for repeat offences.
Critics, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the League of Rights and Freedoms, argue "insult" is too vague and risks arbitrary or discriminatory enforcement — especially against Black, Indigenous and Arab communities they say are already over-policed. Similar bylaws already exist in Quebec City, Laval, Longueuil and Sherbrooke, so the Montreal ruling could influence copycat rules across the province.
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