QUESNEL, B.C. – Arthur Topham, Publisher and Editor of RadicalPress.com, says he received an email from the Victoria, B.C. Law Office of Douglas Christie on Friday, February 20th, 2009 confirming Mr. Christie’s interest in the current Canadian Human Rights Tribunal hearing process involving the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada v. Topham and his website RadicalPress.com (Complaint No.: 20071016).

In an email letter to Registry Officer Nancy LaFontant and Tribunal member Karen Jensen of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in Ottawa, Ontario Mr. Christie stated:

“I am general counsel of the Canadian Free Speech League, and as such I am interested in the case of Arthur Topham. I would like the opportunity to intervene on behalf of the free speech issues raised in this case. We were allowed intervention status in the case of Marc Lemire, and it is our desire to assist in the maintenance of a constitutional challenge to the enabling legislation, as well as to participate in the fact-finding that would be the foundation of such an assessment.”

Topham’s case first came to light back in November of 2007 when Harry Abrams, B.C. representative for the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada and his co-complainant the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) alleging that he, Topham, Owner, Publisher and Editor of RadicalPress.com was promoting “hatred toward Jews and citizens of Israel” because of articles on his website critical of both political Zionism and the actions of the foreign Jewish state of Israel.

Topham, who has publishing both a hard copy newspaper, The Radical (now defunct) and an online new site since 1998, said that after receiving the complaint back in November of 2007 he filed a hard-hitting, detailed, and thoroughly  documented 13-page Response http://www.radicalpress.com/?p=629 which he sent to CHRC “hate-team” investigator Sandy Kozak sandy.kozak@chrc-ccdp.ca on January 3, 2008.

On September 5, 2008 Topham received the Investigation Report from Ms. Natalie Dagenais, Director, Investigations Division. http://www.radicalpress.com/?p=785 . He was given until September 17, 2008 to comment on the Report. See: http://www.radicalpress.com/?p=786 .

On November 21, 2008 Topham received confirmation from the CHRC that the complaint would be moved to the Tribunal stage with the possibility of a hearing.

On January 14, 2009 Topham received an email from the CHR Tribunal requesting confirmation of whether or not he wanted to enter into a mediation process with the complainants. Topham declined to participate giving the Tribunal his reasons in a letter dated January 28, 2009. See: http://www.radicalpress.com/?p=893 .

With the Tribunal hearing now underway Topham said he was deeply honored to receive word that Mr. Christie had taken an interest in the case and was planning to intervene as General Counsel of the Canadian Free Speech League, a society that defends freedom of expression in Canada.

“No one accused of ‘hate speech’ could ask for or expect a better man of principle to stand by him than Doug Christie,” Topham said. “Mr. Christie has a well-deserved reputation world-wide as Canada’s most prolific defender of free speech, having appeared in the Supreme Court of Canada in that capacity more than any other counsel. Mr. Christie has been defense counsel for James Keegstra, Ernst Zundel, Malcolm Ross, John Ross Taylor, Tony McAleer, Imre Finta and in his most recent case that of First Nations leader David Ahenakew. And so it would be an understatement to say that I was both surprised and deeply grateful for the fact that Mr. Christie would take an interest in my case.”

As Doug Christie states on his website http://www.douglaschristie.com he has “challenged the powers of big government, the income tax department, big banking institutions, “human rights” commissions, social service bureaucracies, and other forces seeking at times to unjustifiably curtail the liberty of individuals.”

“Who could ask for a finer ally than that in my struggle with the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada and the censors within the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal,” Topham said.

“The root cause of all the legal problems facing writers, bloggers and publishers in Canada is the infamous Sec. 13(1) of the Canadian Human Rights Act. It’s the most specious piece of Orwellian legislation ever to have (dis)graced the law books of Canadian jurisprudence; one which prohibits truth and intent from entering into a person’s defense when such a complaint has been filed against them” Topham added, “and that is why I intend to also file a constitutional challenge to this undemocratic and draconian section of the CHR Act.”

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CONTACT: Arthur Topham

Email: radical@radicalpress.com

Website: http://www.radicalpress.com

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