5 Feet of Fury

Lady Black remembers her own HRC summons, back in 1978

“Today, Canada’s human rights industry flourishes in a barren landscape where there are no proper rules of evidence, legal procedures or public and press scrutiny. Tribunals can cause you to lose your job and fine you. Fail to answer a witness summons and you face contempt of court — possible imprisonment.

“Under this scenario, Steyn could become a fugitive from Canadian justice in his New Hampshire home, where he and ‘Tiffany’ (his assistant, long rumoured to actually be Mark avoiding phone conversation with editors) could survey the plains, shotgun ready, for red-coated policemen riding over the hills. Mark has long counselled my husband to stay out of the clutches of the American judicial system. I offer him refuge in Palm Beach.

“In the 1977-78 period when I was singled out, Manitoba’s HRC said they were using their mandate to ‘educate’ Maclean’s and myself. They were not proposing to do anything else. I replied that I would use my mandate as a writer in a free country to educate them…”