Charter Rights and Legislative Review Committee Update

Despite a slow start this year, the last few months have brought a torrent of legislative activity and new bills which have kept the Charter Rights and Legislative Review Committee (CRLRC) more than busy. Over the last few months, the CRLRC has made submissions before the House on multiple bills including The Testing of Bodily Fluids and Disclosure Act which may require the mandatory testing of blood for things such as HIV. We also raised concerns over amendments to The Child and Family Services Amendment Act which require the reporting of anyone suspected of possessing child pornography. MARL’s submissions were very well received. The CRLRC also made written submissions to the Justice Minister regarding The Criminal Property Forfeiture Amendment Act and has been requested to meet with the Justice critic with respect to this bill to discuss our concerns. We continue to watch upcoming proposed legislative changes and currently have the amendments to The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act and The Personal Health Information Act on our watchlist.

In addition to raising concerns about legislative initiatives, the CRLRC has supported MARL in increasing its public/media voice on important human rights and civil liberties issues that arise. We are very excited to report that we have made media statements on various topics including: the proposed limitations to public rallies at City Hall as well as with respect to video surveillance in public places. We will continue to ensure that MARL’s voice is heard whenever government proposes measures that threaten fundamental rights.

The CRLRC has also undertaken the task of reviewing and debating MARL's internal policies on various topics of interest to ensure that MARL's position remains current and relevant. We have successfully reviewed our euthanasia policy and are currently reviewing MARL's position with respect to religion in schools.