A legal fight over Springfield’s attempt to stop residents from recording public council meetings appears to have stalled, as the municipality still has not filed a response in the Court of King’s Bench case that ignited a wider debate about transparency and accountability.

The case stems from a February 4, 2025, council meeting where a resident attempted to record proceedings on their phone. According to the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), Mayor Patrick Therrien ordered the recording to stop, saying a bylaw prohibited it, and the CAO told the resident only media could record with 48 hours’ notice. The JCCF says no such bylaw existed and argues that preventing residents from recording public meetings violates the Charter’s free expression protections.

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