The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) will be an intervenor in the legal dispute between prominent Canadian psychologist and author Dr. Jordan Peterson and the College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO). .“This is a classic freedom of expression case,” said CCF Litigation Director Christine Van Geyn in a press release. .“There appears to be growing interest in self-governing professional regulators sanctioning their members for unpopular speech.” .Peterson said in January the CPO is demanding he do a course about social media etiquette. .READ MORE: Jordan Peterson says Ontario psychologist regulator requesting he do social media course .“BREAKING: the Ontario College of Psychologists @CPOntario has demanded that I submit myself to mandatory social-media communication retraining with their experts for, among other crimes, retweeting @PierrePoilievre and criticizing @JustinTrudeau and his political allies,” he said. .He said he has to take social media training, with reports documenting his progress. If he objects, he will face an in-person tribunal hearing and suspension of his right to practice as a licensed clinical psychologist. .Peterson said in January he would be initiating a constitutional challenge over his psychologist licence being at risk of suspension, but has little faith it will succeed. .READ MORE: Jordan Peterson to file lawsuit over potential psychologist licence suspension.“And I can't believe I am now faced with the necessity of doing such things and not believing they will work,” he said. .He confirmed he'd be initiating a lawsuit after Twitter CEO Elon Musk said he did not want his psychologist licence to be suspended. .Van Geyn said the point the CCF wants to make with its intervention is “it doesn’t matter whether you like or dislike what Dr. Peterson says.” She added it is about “whether his statements can be sanctioned by a professional regulator when they realistically have nothing to do with the practice of psychology and the complaints were brought by members of the public who basically just don’t like Dr. Peterson.”.The CCF is represented in this case by Baker McKenzie LLP lawyers George Avraam, Ahmed Shafey, and Ajanthana Anandarajah. The hearing is scheduled for this summer. .“We say that granting such an expansive power to regulate the speech of their members to the College of Psychologists would violate the Charter protected right to free expression,” said Van Geyn.
