R v Carto

R v Carto is a Canadian legal case heard by the Supreme Court of Canada in 1979. The case dealt with the constitutional validity of a by-law passed by the City of Montreal prohibiting the distribution of leaflets or other printed matter in public places without the prior permission of the city's director of parks. The court held that the by-law was an infringement of freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. The case is significant in Canadian constitutional law for its discussion of freedom of expression and the limitations that can be placed on that right by municipal governments. The decision clarified the extent to which municipalities could regulate public expression, finding the broad discretion granted to the director of parks to be an unreasonable restriction. It contributed to the jurisprudence surrounding the balance between individual liberties and the power of local governments.