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| September 2008 | |||
| Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement: BCCLA Calls for a Halt to Government Trade Negotiations |
E-Health Records & Privacy Risks: |
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The proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) initiative aims to deal with commercial scale counterfeiting and piracy activities, however it appears likely to lead to more litigation and less clarity about the rights of ordinary Canadians. The BCCLA is concerned that an agreement that may involve a mandate for invasive and sweeping police search practices is being introduced by stealth under the rubric of a “trade” agreement. Canadians are almost entirely in the dark as to the actual substance of the agreement that is being negotiated and want public assurances from the government that the commitment to protect individual rights to privacy, security of the person and rights to free expression will be protected. |
Text of Micheal Vonn's talk which warns about the price to be paid for such "conveniences" >> |
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| Military Watchdog Orders Hearings BCCLA/Amnesty Complaints Result in Afghan Prisoner Investigation |
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On the basis of two complaints made by the BC Civil Liberties Association and Amnesty International Canada, the Commission chairman Peter Tinsley determined that the public interest requires an investigation. Public hearings are scheduled to begin in the first week of December. Mr. Tinsley’s decision makes clear that the inquiry will investigate high-ranking officers to determine what they knew about the torture and why they failed to investigate when it became evident that transferred detainees were being abused. The decision follows the federal government’s attempt to silence the investigation. Federal lawyers argued that the MPCC lacks jurisdiction to hear the complaints and have tried to prohibit the MPCC from proceeding. The Canadian military has been handing over captured Afghans to Afghan authorities since 2006. International organizations monitoring human rights issues have documented pervasive and widespread torture in Afghanistan, but the Conservative government insisted throughout most of last year that the claims were baseless.
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| Special Event: The Power of Liberty, featuring Eddie Greenspan, Q.C. | |||
 On Thursday, November 20, 2008, the BC Civil Liberties Association will showcase a special public lecture by leading criminal lawyer, Eddie Greenspan Q.C., at the Law Courts Inn in downtown Vancouver. A VIP reception will follow to honour the pro bono legal talents and key supporters who champion civil liberties and human rights on behalf of the BCCLA. Event information & registration >> Reserve your tickets today as they are going fast! Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible: |
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| Gold sponsor: | Bronze sponsors: | ||
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Bull, Housser & Tupper LLP Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP Harper Grey LLP Lindsay Kenney LLP Thorsteinssons LLP, Tax Lawyers |
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| Fall Appeal | |||
 The BCCLA relies on the support of its members and donors to fund its ongoing work on important issues such as the Braidwood Inquiry on tasers. Please make sure your annual membership hasn’t expired and please consider making an additional donation when you receive our appeal in the mail this fall. If you don’t find anything in your mailbox, please make sure we have your current address so you will continue to receive the Democratic Commitment newsletter as well. You can also renew online >> Thank you! |
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| Civil Liberties Update is a summary of some of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association's recent work. The Association publishes a newsletter, The Democratic Commitment, an annual report and posts its positions, submissions, legal arguments and news releases at www.bccla.org. | |||
To unsubscribe to the Update please contact us by e-mail. |
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BC has new legislation (passed by closure) to bring in a vast system of electronic health records ("e-Health"). While the benefits of such a system are unproven, the risk to patient privacy is real and now urgent. Recently, Policy Director 
The Military Police Complaints Commission released a decision yesterday that will set the stage for a wide-ranging inquiry into whether high-ranking Canadian Forces officers turned detainees over to Afghan authorities despite evidence that the detainees would be tortured. 