The BCCLA announced its general support for a series of recommendations issued today by the 2010 Olympic Civil Liberties Advisory Committee today, but added that the recommendations ought to go further to ensure free speech and free assembly rights are protected in and around the Winter Games venues and corridors between them.

Following a presentation from the BCCLA last night, the Vancouver Public Library Board has agreed to revisit a decision by VPL management to bar the pro-choice group Exit International from presenting in library meeting rooms.

On Monday March 8th the Canadian Civil Liberties Association sent a letter to all Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustees and senior officials inviting the TDSB to reconsider its ban on all potential “Israeli Apartheid Week” (IAW) activities.  The CCLA urged TDSB to repeal this blanket ban in light of its impact on students’ and [...]

The federal government announced in last week’s budget that $8 million will be allocated to enhance independent review of the RCMP.  This is welcome news to the CCLA, which has been advocating for increased independent review and audit powers for RCMP activities for many years.  In the CCLA’s view, an effective independent review mechanism must [...]

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has sent a letter to York University expressing concern about the freedom of speech implications of York’s policy that student groups hosting speakers or events that require additional security must bear the costs of hiring the Toronto Police Services.  A recent event planned by the York University student group Christians [...]

On March 4, 2010 Finance Minister Jim Flaherty presented the 2010 Budget in the House of Commons.  In keeping with normal procedures, the budget will now be followed up with a series of motions and Bills to implement the proposed measures.

Contained in the Budget, and the Speech from the Throne delivered on March 3, 2010, [...]

We have just bid a fond farewell to Donna Gilmour who has recently retired after being a fixture at the CCLA since 1990.  As the sole administrative assistant in the office, everyone at the CCLA from our members, the CCLA Board and staff members, to volunteers,casual drop-ins, and the delivery people [...]

An allegation that a Victoria Police Department police officer has been ordered not to discuss harm reduction at an upcoming drug policy conference has caused the BCCLA to file a policy complaint with the Victoria Police Board. The complaint asks the Board to define an off-duty speech policy for officers in line with Charter free speech values.

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has released its decision in Whatcott v. Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal et al., overturning lower findings that Mr. Whatcott had violated Saskatchewan’s ‘hate speech’ legislation.  Mr. Whatcott distributed flyers that made a series of statements about homosexuality and certain sexual behaviour, often using crude and confrontational language. CCLA appeared before [...]

There will be a webcast of this event starting at 12:30pm today.  To view the webcast, follow this link – http://mediacast.ic.utoronto.ca/20100225-LAW/index.htm .

The CCLA and the Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights will be co-hosting a panel discussion on recent legislative proposals that would make it easier for law enforcement to obtain electronic telecommunications data. The [...]

Ottawa City Council is scheduled to consider a proposed addition to city by-laws that would prohibit individuals from engaging in “insulting” “indecent” “loud” or “boisterous” language on city streets and sidewalks. According to the City’s background report, the amendments are being requested to help Ottawa Police deal with ‘nuisance behaviours’ and disperse groups of [...]

CCLA has been granted intervenor status in the May, 2010 reference to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal.  The government of Saskatchewan has asked the Court to examine the constitutionality of two proposed bills that would permit civil marriage commissioners to refuse to perform marriages which run contrary to their personal religious beliefs.  Although the bills [...]

Last Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in R. v. Nasogaluak, which dealt with the availability of sentence reductions for offenders who have been abused by police.  The case involved an Edmonton man whose ribs were broken by police after he led them on a high speed chase, treatment which the Court [...]

The BCCLA has asked the Vancouver Police Department to stop bringing semi-automatic military weaponry to demonstrations in Vancouver, even where demonstrations present public order issues.

BCCLA Renews Its Call For the Repatriation of Omar Khadr.

BCCLA calls on Canadian Border Services to explain their “inland” patrols.

Uniformed members of the Vancouver Police Department and two uniformed members of the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) walked through the ground floor of an independent Olympic media centre and tried to enter private offices in the back before being asked to leave by building management.

The Toronto Star recently contacted the CCLA for comment on its analysis of stop, charge and detention data from the Toronto Police Service that indicates that blacks are significantly more likely to be stopped and questioned by police than whites.  In a written response to the newspaper, the CCLA noted its concern with the Star’s [...]

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled on the case of Omar Khadr last Friday in a decision that reinforces human rights but leaves it to the Government to determine the remedy for violation of those rights.

In a unanimous decision, the Court held that Omar Khadr’s rights as a child, his rights to legal counsel, his [...]

In early January 2010, then federal Minister of Public Safety, Peter Van Loan, announced that the federal and provincial governments are working together to develop national standards for the use of Tasers by police.  This is a significant step towards harmonizing the current patchwork of policies used by different Canadian police services. As such, it [...]