Welcome to the B.C. Civil Liberties Association web site

Civil Liberites Update
Monthly summary of BCCLA activities

Hotties and Naughties
The best and the worst of 2007.

Robert Latimer's Appeal of Parole Decision
The BCCLA is supporting Mr. Latimer's administrative appeal of the National Parole Board's decision to deny him day parole.
December 19, 2007

BCCLA Calls for BC Provincial Police Force
David Brown, the author of the federal task force report on overhauling the RCMP, has recommended fundamental cultural, structural and governance changes of the force, including removing the federal government from direct employer status.
December 14, 2007

BCCLA and Pivot Slam Railroaded Decision to Publicly Fund Private Security
The B CCLA, Pivot Legal Society and the West End Residents Association are decrying a last minute process manoeuvre to railroad through a proposal to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of public funds to support an expansion of private security for businesses.
December 14, 2007

Iaccobuci Inquiry
BCCLA letter to John Laskin informing the Commission of the withdrawal of the BCCLA as an intervenor.
Letter to John Laskin
News Release

Proposed New Law Fails to Provide a Fair Hearing
The BCCLA has added its voice to the growing, national-wide call for Parliament to reject Bill C-3 which provides for the continued use of secret evidence in deportation hearings under the security certificates process.
November 15, 2007

BCCLA Alleges RCMP of Misrepresentation After Death of Robert Dziekanski
The BCCLA today filed a formal complaint against the RCMP for misrepresenting the facts of Robert Dziekanski's death and unreasonably seizing and actively suppressing a video recording of the incident.
Complaint
News Release
November 13, 2007

Electoral Boundaries Commission Amendment Act
BCCLA is calling for the B.C. government to withdraw Bill 39. If Bill 39 is not withdrawn, the BCCLA will sue the government to have the constitutional rights of British Columbians respected and protected.
November 2, 2007

BCCLA Calls For Moratorium on Tasers
The BCCLA is calling on the Solicitor General of British Columbia to issue a moratorium on the use of the Taser gun in British Columbia until such time as uniform standards for training, use and accountability are enshrined and enforced in law, and research confirms that the staggering accidental death rate associated with Tasers can be significantly reduced.
November 1, 2007

When Police Kill Civilians: It's Time We Got Straight Answers
Murray Mollard, Special to the Vancouver Sun. On Oct. 14, Robert Dziekanski died at Vancouver International Airport after the RCMP used their Taser guns to subdue him. His flight from Poland had arrived late, and, speaking no English and having no money, Dziekanski became extremely agitated and was destroying furniture. A tragic, isolated incident? Far from it...
October 30, 2007

BCCLA Initiates RCMP Complaint in Death of Robert Dziekanski
Letter to Paul Kennedy, Chair Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP.
October 24, 2007

The Latest On Lawful Access
(the lawful interception of communications and the lawful search
and seizure of information, including computer data)
Mid-September Canadians received this welcome announcement from the Minister of Public Safety: "We have not and we will not be proposing legislation to grant police the powers to get information from internet companies without a warrant." What was a bit confusing about this announcement was that, at the time, the government was holding a consultation on a proposal to do just what the Minister claimed was not being proposed. The discovery of that consultation prompted the "no-no, never, never" promise from the MInister, but did not put a stop to the consultation. Here is the Association's submission on this latest chapter in the lawful access saga.
October 11, 2007

Iacobucci Inquiry
Questions the public needs answered in the El Maati, Almalki and Nureddin case.
October 9, 2007

Organizations with Intervenor Status at the Iacobucci Inquiry have written an open letter to Prime Minister Harper urging him to help open up the Inquiry process by encouraging the release of documents and the holding of public hearings.
October 9, 2007

Intervenors call on PM to help open up the Iacobucci Inquiry.
October 9, 2007

RCMP Complaint - Ian Bush
BCCLA to proceed with judicial review in Ian Bush death complaint against the RCMP after victory in federal court.
September 14, 2007

BCCLA Lodges Four Complaints in Police Related
Civilian Deaths
The B.C. Civil Liberties Association is lodging new complaints in the case of four men who died in August in British Columbia while in police custody or while being pursued by police. These men include Paul Boyd (Vancouver Police Department), Steve Qualtier (RCMP – Penticton), Christopher Tom (RCMP – Tofino) and an unidentified man (RCMP – Fort St. John).
September 12, 2007

Montebello Summit: Request for a Public Inquiry
BCCLA and Ligue des droits et libertés have come together to request that a judicial inquiry be established to investigate the conduct of police and security forces assembled for the Security and Prosperity Partnership summit that was held in Montebello, Québec August 20-21, 2007, including the conduct of the police in the days leading up to the summit.
News Release
Letter to Prime Minister Harper

Eviction Legislation Voted Down
Three cheers for the NWT MLAs who, as we urged in our letter, found the political courage to vote down the proposed Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act giving territorial bureaucrats drastic powers of eviction.
August 31, 2007

BCCLA RCMP Income Trust Complaint
The BCCLA launches Federal Court action against Paul Kennedy, Chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP to ensure timely and effective civilian oversight of the RCMP.
News Release
Notice of Application
July 17, 2007

Surveillance Database By-Law Struck Down
New Westminster by-law requires pawn shops to pass customer information to police.
BCCLA's legal argument
Read the court's decision
Read summary
July 31, 2007

Iacobucci Inquiry
Submission by International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group and BCCLA outlining procedures to be followed.
June 4, 2007

Death-In-Custody
Timely, independent, civilian led investigations required whenever an individual dies while in the custody of or being pursued by the RCMP.
May 25, 2007

Regulation of Private Security Industry
New Security Services Act fails to protect the public interest.
April 12, 2007

"Lost Canadians" and Citizenship
Citizenship is a fundamental right and must be treated in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice...read our defence of citizenship and how it relates to "Lost Canadians."
April 3, 2007

Ian Bush Complaint
BCCLA in Federal Court on Ian Bush complaint.
March 28, 2007

Prostitiution Law Reform
Discussion to highlight BCCLA AGM.
March 27, 2007

Preventive Detentions
BCCLA calls for sunsetting of anti-terrorism powers on preventive detentions and investigative hearings.
February 26, 2007