Moon, who recently retired from the University of Windsor Faculty of Law, sees this course as an opportunity to engage deeply with students at a moment when issues of expression are shaping national conversations. “At the moment, freedom of expression seems to be on the ascendance,” he explains. “Issues such as the right to protest and the rapid spread of hate speech online make free speech incredibly topical.”
In his decades of teaching, he has found that law students rarely shy away from hard conversations when given the right environment. “In my experience, classroom discussions have not been difficult, disrespectful, or uncomfortable,” he reflects. “Certainly, we do seem to be more polarized around certain issues, and some people seem to be quite willing to be confrontational in how they present their views… but most students are interested in the views of others and respectful of them.”
Moon’s course builds on important work at the Faculty on respectful dialogue and exchange of ideas. According to Dean Kristen Boon, “A great faculty thrives when its members engage one another with curiosity, humility, and respect. Dialogue of this kind strengthens our scholarship and enriches our community."
In November 2023, the Jewish Law Students’ Association and the Muslim Law Students’ Association came together during a time of profound grief and global tension. They issued a joint statement affirming their shared humanity and calling peers to listen to each other with dignity, empathy, and respect—reinforcing the need to keep campus spaces safe, welcoming, and grounded in mutual respect.
This commitment to remain in conversation, even when emotions run high, has become an enduring thread in the Faculty of Law’s culture. Over the last two years, it has helped guide students, faculty, and administrators through complex moments, both within our classrooms and in the broader public sphere.
That same commitment is reflected in the Faculty’s academic programming, including the fall 2025 course offered by Professor Emily Laidlaw, the Rovinescu Visiting Scholar in Anti-Hate Speech.
Professor Laidlaw taught Social Justice Law: Freedom of Expression and Online Hate, a course that examined the boundaries of lawful expression and the legal, social, and technological challenges of moderating harmful content in the digital age. In November, Professor Laidlaw delivered the inaugural Călin Rovinescu Lecture “What Freedom of Expression Asks of Us” with a panel discussion following featuring Professors Michael Geist, Florian Martin-Bariteau and Jane Bailey.
Navigating Potentially Polarizing Conversations
Moon approaches these potentially challenging topics with receptiveness and confidence in the capacity of students to engage respectfully. “I recognize and respect that in different contexts, people may feel strongly about an issue,” he says. “Emotions may be running high and, generally speaking, if their speech is not awful or seriously disruptive of campus life, they have a right to do that.”
His goal is not to eliminate disagreement—it is to model mutual respect, balanced viewpoints, and the intellectual humility required to truly listen.
Looking Ahead
Moon’s reflections are grounded in decades of scholarship and practical experience. As courts, governments, and communities grapple with the limits of expression—particularly online—Moon notes that digital platforms have amplified harmful speech in ways that “traditional legal responses are just not up to the task of regulating. They’re just too cumbersome, just too slow,” for the digital world. This makes informed, respectful dialogue in the classroom more essential than ever.
As Professor Moon prepares to deliver his course, he enters a community ready to build on the thoughtful groundwork laid by students and colleagues alike. His course will offer students the rare opportunity to learn from one of Canada’s foremost constitutional scholars at a moment when the questions he studies are shaping public life.
In an age of rapid change and deepening polarization, uOttawa Law continues to choose a path defined by a balance of viewpoints, respect, and understanding.