Whereas strategic lawsuits against public participation SLAPPs are intended to penalize or deter citizens and municipalities from participating in public affairs; And whereas in 2015 the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association called on the Province to adopt robust anti-SLAPP legislation that would protect the right to communicate on matters of public interest and would help to address an unnecessary burden on our overcrowded public court system; And whereas anti-SLAPP legislation exists in other Canadian jurisdictions and existed in BC as the Protection of Public Participation Act until 2001: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the BC government enact robust anti-SLAPP legislation that will protect the right to communicate on matters of public interest.
Ministry of Attorney General The Government is committed to introducing legislation to address lawsuits that prevent or limit public expression on matters of public interest, often referred to strategic lawsuits against public participation. The Ministry of Attorney General is presently examining the various legislative models of such legislation in order to ensure that the resulting statute is as fair and effective as possible.