In Focus

Program Areas Education

Fundamental Freedoms

Public Safety

National Security

Equality

About us

Since 1964, CCLA has passionately defended the fundamental human rights and civil liberties of all Canadians through:
  • Public Education
  • Litigation
  • Citizen’s Engagement
  • Monitoring and Research
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CCLET presents That's Not Fair!

An animated series of videos, online games, and lesson plans to introduce children ages 7-11 to critical thinking and the habits of democracy.

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Celebrating Canada 2013

Save the date for CCLA's annual fundraising gala - Celebrating Canada! May 29, 2013 - Fermenting Cellar, Distillery District, Toronto

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Canadian Artists for Civil Liberties

“Fundamental freedoms are the beating heart of our vibrant society. They enable us to express ourselves freely, to contribute to important debates and to make an impact on the world around us. As a Canadian Artist for Civil Liberties, I am committed to protecting civil liberties and upholding democratic values, and I endorse the philosophy, mandate and goals of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.”

>>Take the pledge now!

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Education

Since the early 1990s, the Canadian Civil Liberties Education Trust has developed a unique approach to teaching civil liberties in the classroom. The organization provides free workshops and seminars in schools and educational institutions to teach citizens about social justice, their rights and freedoms.Read more...

Fundamental Freedoms

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects those freedoms that are considered fundamental in a democratic society. These freedoms include:
  • Freedom of Expression
  • Freedom of Association
  • Freedom of Assembly
  • Freedom of Religion
  • Freedom of Information
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Public Safety

The CCLA monitors the legal and policy frameworks that govern policing and the administration of justice in Canada to ensure that they are sufficiently respectful of civil liberties and Charter rights. This program includes:
  • Police Powers
  • Police Accountability
  • Privacy and Policing
  • Liberty and Due-Process
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National Security

Through litigation and advocacy, CCLA works for accountability and compliance with Canada"s legal obligations. The key issues are:
  • Privacy & National Security
  • Fair Trial & Due Process
  • Absolute Prohibition Against Torture
  • Security Certificates
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Equality

The equality program concerns all forms of discrimination, and seeks to promote fairness and equality in Canada. The following groups fall within the CCLA program:
  • Disability
  • Gender
  • Immigration
  • LGBT
  • Race / Ethnicity / Religion
  • Socioeconomic Status
  • Youth
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Recent Work

Recent Posts

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RSS Rights Watch

  • UK debate over “snooper’s charter” reignites in wake of Woolwich attack May 24, 2013
    London Mayor Boris Johnson has added his voice to those supporting a Bill that would grant new powers to UK intelligence agencies to track emails and phone calls. But Conservative Minister Eric Pickles says he doubts that any such measures could have prevented the death of soldier Lee Rigby, who was killed in a knife […]
  • BSA votes to allow gay scouts, but gay adults and leaders still banned May 24, 2013
    The Boy Scouts of America has voted to end a longstanding policy of excluding openly-gay boys and young men. At a national meeting held in Grapevine, Texas, the organizations’ national leaders voted more than 60% in favor of  a new policy that no one can be excluded from joining “on the basis of sexual orientation […]
  • Quebec Government Delays Proposed “Charter of Secularism” to the Fall May 24, 2013
    Quebec’s PQ government has decided to delay fulfilling one of its election promises to the fall. The controversial “Charter of Secularism”, a proposal to define reasonable accommodations of religious minorities, will also be broadened and renamed to a “Charter of Quebec Values”. Bernard Drainville, Minister of Democratic Institutions, has said he is respondi […]
  • Inuit feel pressure on language in face of increasing development May 23, 2013
    Inuit organizations stated that they intend to fight “tendencies of linguicide” and to promote linguistic diversity in the face of development pressures at the 12th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York this week. According to Nunatsiaq Online, the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) stated that the Inuit language is rapidly […]
  • Toronto Catholic School Board to hear trustee’s motion banning Gay-Straight Alliances May 23, 2013
    A motion to ban Gay-Straight Alliance student clubs in Catholic schools, submitted by Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) Scarborough Trustee, Garry Tanuan, is set to be heard at the TCDSB’s monthly public meeting tonight (Catholic Education Centre, 80 Sheppard Ave. E., on Thursday, May 23 at 7 p.m.).  The motion directly conflicts with provincial […]

Features

Icon of information logo - capital i Key Reports

Press release – New CCLA Report: Police Background Checks That Include Non-Conviction Records Undermine the Presumption of Innocence

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact:

Penelope Chester

647.822.8764

media@ccla.org

www.ccla.org

 

New CCLA Report: Police Background Checks That Include Non-Conviction Records Undermine the Presumption of Innocence

Toronto – September 17, 2012 – The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has released a new report entitled Presumption of Guilt? The Disclosure of Non-Conviction Records in Police Background Checks. The report sheds light on the impact [...]

Op-Ed

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 [...]

Multimedia

Audio Audio

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 [...]

Icon of camera Video

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 [...]