The story of Linda Gibbons.

• Author: Mcintyre, Kaiden

Introduction

The 2012 Supreme Court of Canada case of R. v. Gibbons, http://canlii.ca/t/frmhd asked what law enforcement and the legal system should do with Linda Gibbons, a quiet but persistent abortion protester. Is her disobedience of court orders a matter for the criminal law or the common law?

The Facts

Linda Gibbons was born in Whitehorse, Yukon almost 70 years ago. She moved to Toronto where she picketed abortion clinics. In 1994, the Ontario Court issued an injunction prohibiting Gibbons from displaying protest signs within 60 feet of certain abortion clinics. A devout Christian, she quietly prays and protests inside that bubble. She is a peaceful protester who holds a sign and occasionally asks patrons of the abortion clinics to think twice about the abortion. For those principles, and after numerous arrests, she has served a total of some 11 years in jail.

In 2008, Gibbons was charged under section 127 of the Criminal Code for breaching the 1994 civil injunction to not protest inside the bubble. The Criminal Code makes it an offence to disobey a court order. The question on an appeal in 2012 was whether section 127 of the Criminal Code or the Ontario Rules of Civil Procedure applied to contempt of court orders. Another way of understanding this is that the Supreme Court of Canada needed to determine whether Gibbons should be dealt with by private or common law or by the more serious criminal law.

The Supreme Court of Canada Decision

Eight of the nine judges in the top court concluded that the Ontario procedural rules regarding contempt of court did not over-ride or displace section 127 of the Criminal Code. Accordingly, the criminal charge could proceed. Quiet protest anywhere within the 60 foot cordon could be prosecuted as a crime. This result followed the decision in a 1981 case called Clement, which made it far more serious for peaceful protesters to ignore injunctions because those violations might be prosecuted as criminal offences.

What Happened?

As a result of the Supreme Court of Canada decision which was issued on June 8, 2012, a criminal trial was set for the fall of 2013. On September 11, 2013, Gibbons was sentenced to six months in prison. Less time served, she had to serve 29 more days. She was released on October 10, 2013.

Conclusion

This case raises important social and legal issues. Should a non-violent anti-abortion protester have the full force of the criminal law power of detention applied against her? Hardened...