Ontario’s dangerous ag gag law is back in court. This week, Animal Justice lawyers will be fighting at the Ontario Court of Appeal to uphold a historic legal victory that struck down much of the law as unconstitutional. Before Animal Justice struck it down, this troubling law existed to punish whistleblowers and journalists who go undercover to expose widespread cruelty to animals in farms and slaughterhouses.
Last year, after a hard fought legal battle, Justice Koehnen ruled that key parts of the law violated the right to freedom of expression under the Canadian Charter. The case was brought by Animal Justice, journalist Jessica Scott-Reid, and activist Louise Jorgensen of Toronto Cow Save. This was the first time an ag gag law was defeated in a Canadian court—a major win for animals and freedom of expression.
But now, that victory is under threat. The Ontario government has filed an appeal in an attempt to reinstate the dangerous law, and Animal Justice is heading back to fight it.
What Is Ontario’s Ag Gag Law?
In 2020, Ontario passed Bill 156, the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act. The law was passed at the behest of the meat industry—created to shield farms and slaughterhouses from public scrutiny. As a result, it became illegal for whistleblowers and journalists to gain access to farms or slaughterhouses under “false pretenses.”
Notably, undercover investigators who applied for jobs to expose abuse faced hefty fines or even jail time. The law also targeted peaceful protests near transport trucks carrying animals to slaughter. It was a direct attempt to silence those revealing cruelty, protect industry profits, and keep the suffering of farmed animals hidden.
Numerous Canadian undercover exposés have shown the public the miserable conditions animals endure on farms. Whistleblowers have revealed horrifying standard practices like confining pigs in tiny crates, locking hens in filthy wire cages, and separating newborn calves from their mothers.
These exposés have also uncovered illegal cruelty—painful mutilations, violent beatings, botched killings, and prolonged suffering in horrifying conditions. Because the government doesn’t inspect farms, whistleblowers are the only way to detect unlawful abuse.
In fact, one such investigation by Animal Justice at Paragon pig farm led to a conviction for two counts of animal cruelty—including performing an illegal cesarean on a conscious pig.
Watch Online or Join the Rally at the Ontario Court of Appeal!
The legal case is Tuesday, June 24 to Wednesday, June 25. Anyone is welcome to attend court, which starts at 10 am each day at the Ontario Court of Appeal in Courtroom 1.
Watch online:
- View on Zoom
- Passcode: 275588
Come to the rally:
Join Animal Justice outside the courthouse to raise your voice against cruelty and censorship. We’ll provide signs, but you’re welcome to bring your own. Please invite your friends, family, and fellow advocates!
📍 Where: North of the Ontario Court of Appeal (Osgoode Hall, 130 Queen St W, Toronto) by the pillars of justice sculpture on University Ave
🕛 When: Tuesday, June 24 at 12:00 pm
Banner image: Jo-Anne McArthur | We Animals
