Media

Roger D. McConchie has over two decades of experience representing and advising traditional and non-traditional media in matters of access to judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings or publication bans, contempt of court (violation of the sub judice rule), advertising and promotional contests, and free speech issues under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Roger D. McConchie has also advised and acted for many years as litigation counsel in matters including defamation, injurious falsehood, privacy, access to information, “open court” applications, misleading advertising, and copyright and trade-mark infringement claims. His court cases frequently raise “free speech” issues under the guarantee of freedom and expression found in section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He routinely provides pre-publication advice to media (and non-media clients) on such issues.

In a variety of media matters including libel and privacy claims, he has also from time to time represented and/or advised other newspapers and electronic media in British Columbia.

When the Province of British Columbia enacted freedom of information legislation in 1992, Roger D. McConchie represented the news media coalition which included virtually all of the print and electronic news media in the province. The news media coalition submitted numerous briefs to, and met with, the Attorney General of British Columbia concerning the content of the legislation.

Roger D. McConchie has also represented and advised numerous foreign clients, principally American, including major news and entertainment media organizations, newspapers, magazine publishers, and television producers or broadcasters on Canadian law concerning libel, privacy, media, and free speech. His clients have included major broadcasters and print media located across the U.S.A.

He is legal counsel to the British Columbia Press Council, an independent organization which is a member of the World Association of Press Councils. In that capacity, he acts as a constitutional law adviser with particular responsibility for free speech issues.