Rights and Liberties News

5 Trends to Watch in 2012

Canadian Civil Liberties Association - Sat, 12/31/2011 - 03:35

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association looks ahead to the issues that Canadians will face in 2012:

1. The Cybersurveillance Bill

The government has promised that it will re-introduce its lawful access legislation without any major changes.  Previous versions of these bills gave law enforcement more powers [...]

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

Call for Guidelines Regarding Non-Disclosure of HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections

Canadian Civil Liberties Association - Fri, 12/23/2011 - 11:44

In light of some very serious charges laid against individuals who had, in a variety of circumstances, not disclosed their HIV status to sexual partners, CCLA has written to the Attorney General for Ontario calling on him to develop guidelines concerning the criminal investigation and prosecution of allegations of non-disclosure of HIV and other sexually [...]

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

Why do you support civil liberties?

Canadian Civil Liberties Association - Fri, 12/23/2011 - 09:04

In 2011, we asked our donors to tell us why they support civil liberties. We gathered all the responses we received, and create the word cloud below to show what’s important to our supporters. Enjoy!

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

BCCLA calls for independent review in VPD shooting

B. C. Civil Liberties Association - Wed, 12/21/2011 - 22:00

The BCCLA is calling for a special prosecutor to review the decision not to lay criminal charges against the Vancouver Police Department officer involved in the Paul Boyd shooting. Boyd was shot eight times during the incident on Granville Street in August of 2007 and the inquest into his death concluded last week.

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

BCCLA to Ombudsman: Investigate Coroner’s resignation

B. C. Civil Liberties Association - Wed, 12/21/2011 - 22:00

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association is asking B.C.’s Ombudsperson’s office to investigate the sudden resignation of the province’s Chief Coroner. The Association is concerned that political interference in the independent Coroner’s office may have led to the resignation.

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

Federal government responds to call for G20 review

Canadian Civil Liberties Association - Wed, 12/21/2011 - 12:21

On February 28, 2011, the CCLA wrote to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, reiterating the continued necessity for a broad public inquiry into the events surrounding the G20. On December 1, 2011, we received a reply from the current Minister of Public Safety, Vic Toews.

To read the response from Minister Toews click here. To [...]

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

CCLA Concerned about Police Presence During Campus Protest

Canadian Civil Liberties Association - Fri, 12/16/2011 - 13:29

On November 10, 2011 some students at McGill University occupied an administration building and a larger protest took place outside the building on campus.  Riot police were called to the scene and dispersed the crowd using pepper spray.  There are also allegations that protesters and passersby were struck with batons.  Student protests have long been [...]

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

BCCLA Calls on Canada to Facilitate UN Investigation

B. C. Civil Liberties Association - Wed, 12/14/2011 - 22:00

The BCCLA is calling on Canada’s provincial and federal governments to support and facilitate a recently announced investigation of Canada by the United Nations. The Native Women’s Association of Canada and the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action have announced that the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (“CEDAW”) will be investigating the disappearance and murders of Aboriginal women in Canada.

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

CCLA argues for independent investigation of retired police officers – again

Canadian Civil Liberties Association - Tue, 12/13/2011 - 08:23

On December 13, 2011, the CCLA intervened at the Ontario Court of Appeal in the case of Metcalf v. Scott to argue that Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (“SIU”) has the authority to investigate potentially criminal conduct committed by a police officer who has retired since the time of the incident.  The SIU [...]

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

CCLA Intervenes at Federal Court in Warman v. Lemire

Canadian Civil Liberties Association - Tue, 12/13/2011 - 07:11

Lawyers representing the CCLA will be arguing in the Federal Court of Canada today in the case of Warman v. Lemire.  This case concerns the constitutionality of the hate speech provisions in the Canadian Human Rights Act. In a ruling released in September 2009, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found that the Act’s hate speech [...]

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

Media Advisory: BCCLA to argue for protections of free expression on internet

B. C. Civil Liberties Association - Sun, 12/11/2011 - 22:00

On Wednesday, December 14, 2011, the BCCLA will argue before the Federal Court in Canadian Human Rights Commission v. Warman, et al., a case concerning the constitutionality of the hate speech provisions of the Canadian Human Rights Act. The BCCLA is an intervener in the case.

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

Human Rights Day 2011

Canadian Civil Liberties Association - Sat, 12/10/2011 - 12:19

This speech was delivered by CCLA General Counsel Nathalie Des Rosiers on Saturday, December 10, on the International Human Rights Day event hosted by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) Canadian Ethnocultural Council (CEC) with the participation of the Canadian Ethnic Media Association (CEMA)

“Human Rights Day began in 1950 to commemorate the Universal Declaration of [...]

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

Supreme Court to Consider Issue of Niqab in the Courtroom

Canadian Civil Liberties Association - Thu, 12/08/2011 - 08:20

The Supreme Court of Canada will consider an appeal which looks at the issue of whether a sexual assault complainant may testify in Court while wearing a niqab for religious reasons.  The case, on appeal from the Ontario Court of Appeal, arose when one of the defendants in a sexual assault case claimed that his [...]

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

Father of Alvin Wright writes open letter to head of new police agency

B. C. Civil Liberties Association - Wed, 12/07/2011 - 22:00

The father of Alvin Wright has written an open letter to Richard Rosenthal, the head of the new Independent Investigation Office. He has requested that the BCCLA forward this letter to the media on his behalf. Alvin Wright was shot and killed by the RCMP in Langley, B.C.

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

Press Release: CCLA Reacts To Canada-U.S. Border Deal Statement; Concerned About Implications For Privacy Rights

Canadian Civil Liberties Association - Wed, 12/07/2011 - 16:53

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

BCCLA available to comment on new head of Independent Investigation Office

B. C. Civil Liberties Association - Mon, 12/05/2011 - 22:00

The BCCLA has been advised that the B.C. government will be announcing the head of B.C.’s new civilian police accountability organization tomorrow morning (Dec 7) at 8:30 a.m. In the event the Province does announce the name of the head of the Independent Investigation Office (“IIO”), the BCCLA will be available for reaction to the announcement.

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

Media Advisory: BCCLA to argue internet free speech case in Supreme Court

B. C. Civil Liberties Association - Mon, 12/05/2011 - 22:00

Ottawa – On Tuesday, December 7, 2010, the BCCLA will argue before the Supreme Court of Canada in the case of Crookes v. Newton that the owners of websites generally should not be held legally liable for hyperlinking to defamatory sites on the internet. The BCCLA is an intervener in the case.

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

BCCLA says RCMP watchdog must stop “cutting and running”

B. C. Civil Liberties Association - Thu, 12/01/2011 - 22:00

The BCCLA is disappointed by the evasive response of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP to a complaint filed by the BCCLA about the RCMP withholding sensitive files for more than a year.

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

Rights groups condemn handling of child soldier detainees

B. C. Civil Liberties Association - Thu, 12/01/2011 - 22:00

In a letter sent to Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay, the BCCLA and Amnesty International Canada call on the Department of National Defence to take immediate action to bring its policies and practices regarding children apprehended in course of military operations in Afghanistan into compliance with international law.

Categories: Rights and Liberties News

BCCLA files complaint against senior RCMP officers for concealing files

B. C. Civil Liberties Association - Wed, 11/30/2011 - 22:00

The BCCLA has filed a complaint against the most senior members of the RCMP for undermining the RCMP complaints process in the most serious and sensitive investigations of the force.

Categories: Rights and Liberties News