National Security
“On the one hand stands the manifest evil of terrorism and the random and arbitrary taking of innocent lives, rippling out in an ever-widening spiral of loss and fear. Governments, expressing the will of the governed, need the legal tools to meet this challenge.On the other hand stands the need to ensure that those legal tools do not undermine the values that are fundamental to our democratic society — liberty, the rule of law, and the principles of fundamental justice — values that lie at the heart of the Canadian constitutional order and the international instruments Canada has signed. In the end, it would be a Pyrrhic victory if terrorism were defeated at the cost of sacrificing our commitment to those values. Parliament’s challenge is to draft laws that effectively combat terrorism and conform to the requirements of our Constitution and our international commitments.” R. v. Suresh, (2002), Supreme Court of CanadaPost 9/11 national security measures have resulted in complicity in torture, arbitrary and indefinite detentions, secret evidence, racial profiling, and denial of due process and fair trial rights. These measures violate our Constitution and Canada’s international legal obligations. CCLA calls for national security measures which comply with our Charter and international law, upholding our commitments to human dignity, life, liberty, the rule of law and fundamental justice. Through litigation and advocacy, CCLA works for accountability and compliance with Canada’s legal obligations. The key issues in our national security work are:
- Privacy & National Security
- Fair Trial & Due Process
- Absolute Prohibition Against Torture
- Security Certificates
>> Read CCLA’s Afghan detainees case fact sheet |
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- CCLA Urges Restraint in Responding to Recent Tragedies: An Open Letter to Members of Parliament
By Cara Zwibel on October 27, 2014 The tragic events of last week have led to discussions about new powers for police and intelligence agencies. CCLA is troubled by this narrative and has written to Members of Parliament urging them to consider what is at stake as new laws and policies are considered in the weeks and months that follow. Read our [...]
Category: Activities, Announcements, Charter Rights, Fundamental Freedoms, National Security, News Highlights, Public Safety - CCLA Calls for Press Access to Omar Khadr
By Sukanya Pillay on July 30, 2014 We understand that for two years, members of the press have been denied requests to interview Omar Khadr, by Correctional Service Canada. At the same time, many statements about Mr. Khadr have been made by government officials to the media. The Toronto Star, CBC, and White Pine pictures have filed an action for judicial review [...]
Category: Freedom of Expression, Fundamental Freedoms, National Security - A Win at the Supreme Court on Internet Privacy
By Cara Zwibel on June 13, 2014 The Supreme Court of Canada has rendered its decision in R. v. Spencer, a case that considered the privacy interests that an individual has in Internet activities and affirmed that anonymity is a key component of the right to privacy. The Court also clarified a point of long-standing disagreement between privacy advocates and law enforcement [...]
Category: Activities, Court Cases, Liberty and Due Process, National Security, Police Powers, Privacy, Privacy and National Security, Public Safety
Features & Multimedia
Canada’s Universal Periodic Review
On April 26 Canada will undergo its second Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a unique global accountability process that allows all members of the UN Human Rights Council to review Canada’s compliance with international human rights law. CCLA believes this is an important process and was pleased to participate in a pre-session with states allowing us [...]
AUDIO: CCLA’s NGO Report To The UN For Canada’s 2nd UPR Review
CCLA’s Sukanya Pillay, Director of the National Security Program, speaks to RCI’s Wojtek Gwiazda about CCLA’s recent report to the UN – the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrant workers, the right to peaceful protest, and the number of Aboriginal women in Canadian prisons, are some of the issues raised by CCLA as part [...]
CCLA Holds Conference Assessing Global Counter-Terror Initiatives
On Friday, October 19th, 2012, nearly 100 attendees gathered at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law for a one day symposium entitled “The Social Cost of National Security: Assessing the Impact of Global Counter-Terror Initiatives on Canadian Society”. The conference was a partnership between the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Arab Institute [...]
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