Canadian man Wolf Ruck, 79, told CTV News that he studied law at a postgraduate level in order to pursue his legal action over rules restricting the length of grass in his garden to 20 centimetres.

Ontario Superior Court last week ruled in Mr Ruck’s favour, holding that the Mississauga city by-law infringed his right to freedom of expression.

“Given the nature of Mr Ruck’s expressive content about the importance of ecological conservation and re-wilding with nature, and his desire to convey this by offering his lifestyle as an example for others, the impugned provisions of the by-law serve to restrict his right to free expression on his own private property in a manner that is not insignificant,” Superior Court Justice Michael Doi said.

Mr Ruck initially represented himself in court when the dispute began in 2021, but his case was later taken up by a charity called the Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF).

“I couldn’t ask for a better sort of birthday celebration,” said Mr Ruck, who is about to turn 80.