The development of non-disclosure agreements to protect commercial intellectual property in the 1980’s tech boom has turned into NDAs becoming a default in the majority of civil settlements of all kinds.
The Hockey Canada scandal has placed the commonplace use of NDAs in the settlement of sexual assault (as well as abuse, harassment and discrimination) claims in the spotlight.
The Can’t Buy My Silence campaign co-founded by Zelda Perkins and Julie Macfarlane proposes legislation to limit the use of NDAs to their original purpose. The Nova Scotia legislature will shortly consider Bill 144, tabled by the NDP, which is similar to the “model Bill” enacted in PEI and progressing in Ireland and Manitoba.
Dr. Julie Macfarlane will introduce the campaign and the “model Bill” and provide a short overview of national and international developments. She will be followed by discussion and comment by a panel comprising of MLA Suzy Hansen, NDP Justice Critic; Ron Pink, Pink Larkin; Nancy Elliot, Stockton, Maxwell and Elliott; and Krista Fifield, Avalon Sexual Assault Centre. Julie and the panel will then take questions and comments from the audience.
This event is co-sponsored by Can’t Buy My Silence, Equity Watch Nova Scotia, and Access to Justice and Law Reform Institute.
