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R v Butler | |
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Hearing: June 6, 1991 Judgment: February 27, 1992 | |
Full case name | Donald Victor Butler v. Her Majesty The Queen |
Citations | [1992] 1 S.C.R. 452, 89 D.L.R. (4th) 449, 2 W.W.R. 577, 70 C.C.C. (3d) 129, 11 C.R. (4th) 137, 8 C.R.R. (2d) 1, 78 Man. R. (2d) 1, 78 Man. R. (2e) 1 |
Docket No. | 22191 [1] |
Prior history | Judgment for the Crown in the Manitoba Court of Appeal. |
Ruling | Appeal allowed. |
Holding | |
The criminal offence of distribution of obscenity infringes section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms but can be justified under section 1 of the Charter. | |
Court membership | |
Chief Justice: Antonio Lamer Puisne Justices: Gérard La Forest, Claire L'Heureux-Dubé, John Sopinka, Charles Gonthier, Peter Cory, Beverley McLachlin, William Stevenson, Frank Iacobucci | |
Reasons given | |
Majority | Sopinka J., joined by Lamer C.J. and La Forest, Cory, McLachlin, Stevenson, and Iacobucci JJ. |
Concurrence | Gonthier J., joined by L'Heureux-Dubé J. |
R v Butler, [1992] 1 S.C.R. 452 is a leading Supreme Court of Canada decision on pornography and state censorship. In this case, the Court had to balance the right to freedom of expression under section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms with women's rights. The outcome has been described as a victory for anti-pornography feminism[2] and the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund,[3] but a loss for alternative sexualities.[4]