A trespass prosecution against former academic and author Dr. Frances Widdowson stemming from her arrest at the University of Victoria last year has been stayed, ending the court case but leaving broader free speech and constitutional questions unresolved.The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announced Wednesday that proceedings against Widdowson under British Columbia's Trespass Act have been halted.Widdowson was arrested on Dec. 2, 2025, after attending the University of Victoria with OneBC Leader Dallas Brodie to discuss disputed claims surrounding alleged unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School site.According to the Justice Centre, university officials had informed Widdowson and Brodie before the event that they would not be permitted on university property for the purpose of public speaking and issued public statements opposing their planned appearance.When Widdowson arrived on campus, she encountered a large protest near Petch Fountain, where she intended to address members of the university community.Following interactions with university security personnel and Saanich police officers, Widdowson was served with a trespass notice. After refusing to leave, she was arrested, detained for approximately two hours and charged under provincial trespass legislation.Constitutional lawyer Chris Fleury said the stay of proceedings ends the prosecution but leaves several significant legal issues unanswered."The stay concludes the prosecution but leaves unresolved broader questions that had been expected to arise through the litigation," Fleury said..He noted that the stay applies only to the trespass case brought by the Saanich Police Department and does not determine whether Widdowson can return to the University of Victoria campus in the future."The stay relates only to the legal proceeding arising from the trespass allegation prosecuted by the Saanich Police Department. It does not determine whether Dr. Widdowson is permitted to return to the UVic campus," Fleury said.The University of Victoria was not a party to the prosecution.According to the Justice Centre, Widdowson had previously received a written warning under British Columbia trespass legislation and could face additional enforcement action if she returns to campus.One of the central issues expected to be examined during the case was whether the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms applies to universities in British Columbia.Because the prosecution has been stayed, that constitutional question will not be addressed by the courts through this case.The arrest drew attention from free speech advocates and critics of university censorship, who argued the case raised important questions about expression, academic freedom and access to publicly funded campuses.With the proceedings now halted, those broader legal questions remain unsettled.
