Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, executive director and general counsel of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, issued a statement: “We urge Parliament to amend Bill C-63 to ensure that any legislation aimed at curbing online harms upholds the fundamental principles guaranteed by our Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” she said. “While the CCLA endorses the declared purposes of upholding … Read more
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and Queen’s Prison Law Clinic are jointly participating in the Inquest into the Death of Terry Baker from Jan. 22 to Feb. 8, 2024. Shakir Rahim, director of the CCLA’s Criminal Justice Program, said “We know that federal correctional institutions have a long way to go to provide adequate care to … Read more
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is appearing as an intervenor before the Supreme Court of Canada in Attorney General of Canada v. Power. This case is about when the state can be sued under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for passing unconstitutional legislation. “For the Charter to have meaning, there must be consequences for violating it. We are intervening … Read more
Shakir Rahim, director of the Criminal Justice Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, issued a statement: “We commend the Senate for passing a key amendment to Bill C-48 recommended by the CCLA to address the overrepresentation of Indigenous and vulnerable groups in pre-trial detention. We urge the House of Commons to support this amendment,” said … Read more
The Right2YourFace Coalition said new proposed government legislation for privacy and AI falls short and will be dangerous for Canadians. The coalition send a new letter to Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc (Beauséjour, N.B.) and Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne (Saint-Maurice–Champlain, Que.) outlining its concerns. “The way to pressure test a new law is to see if it … Read more
Shakir Rahim, director of the Criminal Justice Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, issued a statement: “We are pleased that a key amendment to Bill C-48 proposed by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association has been adopted [by the Senate legal committee]. The amendment requires a justice to explain how they determined if an accused … Read more
Shakir Rahim, director of the Criminal Justice Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, issued a statement: “We recommend Bill C-48 be amended to require courts to explain how they considered the circumstances of Indigenous, Black, and other overrepresented groups in bail decisions. Courts are required by law to consider these circumstances, but often forget or omit … Read more
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association delivered its submission to the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on Bill C-48, which restricts access to bail. “Bail is the safeguard of liberty for the innocent. Yet pre-trial detention in Canada is astronomical and rising (over 158% increase since 1986), judges and oversight bodies describe conditions in pre-trial … Read more
Harini Sivalingam, lawyer and director of the equality program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, issued a statement: “Forcing people into treatment facilities against their will is unconstitutional and unlawful. The New Brunswick government is wrong to suggest otherwise. Substance use is in some circumstances an alarming and pressing epidemic. Research shows that compelling people into … Read more
Shakir Rahim, director of Criminal Justice for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, issued a statement: “The CCLA is alarmed that the House of Commons skipped the normal procedure of studying significant legislation in committee before passing Bill C-48 restricting bail,” he said. “We urge the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs to conduct a … Read more
