An anti-choice transit ad appearing on Regina buses has been declared to be against Canadian advertising standards, following a consumer complaint.  In early July, I registered a complaint with Advertising Standards Canada about the Regina Pro-life ad: 'Abortion: the ultimate child abuse.'  It took most of the summer to for the ASC to get a response from Regina Pro-life. At the end of August they received a letter defending the ad, and then the case went to an independent panel.

I argued that child abuse is a criminal offence under the Criminal Code of Canada and most provincial law, whereas abortion is a legal medical procedure which women have a right to access. Therefore, the two can’t be equated.

 In a Sept. 22 ruling, the panel agreed: "The claim that abortion is the ultimate child abuse was a statement made in the advertising without qualification or limitation. It was a claim that Council considered to be untrue."

The ruling added: "Moreover, advertising, as in this case, that equates abortion with child abuse is demeaning to and disparaging of women who have had abortions, and brings them into public contempt, contrary to Clause 14 (c) of the Code.”

At the time, this ruling was not made public because the advertiser is first allowed an appeal. Regina Pro-life did appeal. A second panel of different individual was convened to look at the information as a fresh case. Arguments were restated on both sides. On Oct. 26, I received a letter saying:

"After a careful and thorough review of the advertisement, the Appeal Panel unanimously concurred with, and affirmed, Council’s original decision in this matter, and for the same reasons. Accordingly, this Decision by the Appeal Panel is now a final decision from which there is no further right of appeal."

Now that the decision is final, below is the correspondence I received.

As I stated in my arguments, I have nothing against free speech and ads that express an opinion - any opinion, including anti-choice opinions - but let's agree to keep it within the bounds of fact. I will be forwarding info about this ruling to my city councillor, to foward to City Hall. 

Comments

well done Trish Written by djuschka on 2010-10-29 06:24:37 Great job on this Trish.

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