The BCCLA responded quickly to a proposal by the Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers Society to collect donations from individuals and corporate sponsors to hire three regular duty RCMP officers to address a perceived shortage of officers.
In a letter to John Les, the Solicitor General of British Columbia, BCCLA President Jason Gratl, "The importance of police independence cannot be overstated. Not only is it a cornerstone of our democratic system that police must operate impartially, but citizens must have faith that this is the case... the police must both be impartial and be seen to be impartial."
Solicitor General Les responded to the BCCLA's concerns saying, "I share your concerns regarding the importance of protecting police independence. For this reason, my Ministry will ensure that before approving any proposal, appropriate safeguards are in place to ensure that the integrity of police independence is both upheld, and seen to be upheld, by any new funding arrangements."
The BCCLA came out swinging in February demanding that Paul Kennedy, Chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (CPC), order an investigation or hearing into the deaths of four men who have recently died at the hands of the RCMP while in-custody or being pursued as a suspect. The most suspicious death was that of Ian Bush, who was shot in the back of the head while in police custody in Huston, BC.
The BCCLA initiated formal police complaints in relation to the deaths. In each case, the RCMP has refused to investigate our complaints citing the fact that there will be an internal RCMP investigation and a coroner's inquest into the deaths. The CPC refused to get involved until the internal investigation and coroner's inquest were over - despite the potential for delay measured in years.
The BCCLA has also written to Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day calling for reform of the RCMP Act and automatic civilian review in the case of civilian in-custody/in-pursuit deaths or serious injury resulting from interaction with the RCMP. The BCCLA had also written RCMP Commissioner Zaccardelli with the same request but his representatives have declined to support legislative reform that would enhance civilian oversight.
A Provincial legislative committee is set to consider the re-appointment of current Ombudsman Howard Kushner. The BCCLA is urging British Columbians to ask whether the Ombudsman is effective. The BC Civil Liberties Association's view is that the Ombudsman's office has fallen short of its promise in recent years.
Whatever the statistics, the Office of the Ombudsman no longer enjoys the public profile and status that it once enjoyed. This loss of profile and status is bound to have negative consequences for the effectiveness of the Ombudsman's office - whether that be measured by the number of people turning to him for help or governments looking or listening to him for advice to get out of a jam. Perhaps it is time for a new dog to nip at the heels of government.
At the invitation of the BC Information and Privacy Commissioner, the BCCLA is intervening in an investigation of a complaint against the Wild Coyote Club (WCC) for a breach of the Personal Information Protection Act. WCC, a night club, requires all visitors to provide their driver's license which is then scanned and stored in a database.
WCC argues that scanning the driver's license is necessary to verify the age of visitors and to prevent violence. The BCCLA's submission argues that WCC does not comply with the law by giving inadequate notice and not obtaining appropriate consent from visitors. We also argue that if night clubs really wish to prevent violence in bars, it would be better to require visitors to pass through metal detectors before they enter the premises. Brian Samuels of Samuels & Co. is representing the BCCLA.
The BCCLA takes a stand in favour of free expression in relation to the republication of controversial cartoons depicting Mohammed. The set of 12 cartoons were initially published by a Danish newspaper, and have led to violent protests and killings of protesters by security forces in the Middle East. The cartoons were republished by an Alberta paper, the Western Standard.
Former BCCLA presidents Craig Jones and John Dixon wrote a rousing open letter defending the right of the Western Standard to publish the cartoons, however controversial.
The dealine has been extended! The submission deadline for the Logo Competition is now April 30, 2006 with the winner being announced May 31, 2006. We are offering $500 to the winner of the competition. The new design will be used for letterhead, the web, our e-mailed newsletter and printed material. We have had some wonderfully creative designs submitted to date but are hoping for more. Please feel free to pass on the word to your creative friends and family. For complete listing of submission rules and guidelines please check out www.bccla.org under design competition.
Over the past few years, the Federal Government has made it easier for a donor to give securities (stocks or bonds) in lieu of cash to their preferred charity. Giving the gift of publicly traded stock can create very attractive tax benefits for a donor, potentially cutting capital gains tax payable on any increase in value by half.
If you are considering a gift to the BCCLA and have shares that you may wish to donate, we recommend obtaining legal advice before making a donation. The BCCLA would be happy to arrange for a free legal consultation. Please feel free to contact Sarah Frew, Director of Development at 604-687-2919 or email sarah@bccla.org.
Please feel free to contact Sarah Frew, Director of Development at 604-687-2919 or e-mail sarah@bccla.org for more information about the tax benefits of donating stocks or bonds.
Call the BCCLA office to book a BCCLA speaker today! Sex, drugs or reform of assisted suicide laws; no topic is off limits for the BCCLA as long as it involves civil liberties and freedom. Call us at 604-687-2919 or e-mail us at info@bccla.org.
Civil Liberties
Update is a summary of some of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association's
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