Our Work

Our Work Centres Around Our Five Core Beliefs

EQUALITY

Equality – which includes equity, diversity, and inclusion – recognizes that every person is equal in value and worth, and each is deserving of fairness, dignity and rights.

Learn More about our Work in Equality
FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS

Fundamental Freedoms allow individuals and groups to express themselves, to believe and practice what they choose, and to exercise their right to vote.

Learn More about our Work in Fundamental Freedoms
CRIMINAL JUSTICE

We work to ensure that constitutional rights are respected at every step of the criminal justice system, and that the extraordinary powers conferred to police and criminal courts are used proportionately, fairly, humanely, and only when absolutely necessary.

Learn More about our Work in Criminal Justice
PRIVACY

We bring a principled and rights-focused approach to assessing the impact of new technologies and surveillance, in areas ranging from policing methods to people’s public and private lives.

Learn More about our Work to Protect Privacy
EDUCATION

CCLA & CCLET provide free workshops, seminars, and in-class sessions in schools, educational institutions, and faculties of education, educating citizens about their rights and freedoms.

Learn More about our Educational Programs
Our Recent Cases and Reports

View our latest work and activity.

Strip Searches in Ontario Prisons

Ontario's law gives provincial prisons carte blanche to strip search any prisoner, at any time, for no reason. We believe the law is unconstitutional.
VIEW CASE

COVID-19

Stay updated with all the latest news from CCLA, including our work monitoring the response to COVID-19 to ensure it’s based on science and is not unnecessarily intrusive to our liberties

VIEW LATEST COVID UPDATES

   

Bill 21

Bill 21 is a law which disproportionately impacts people who are already marginalized. New Quebec laws ban Canadians working as teachers, lawyers, police officers, and more from wearing religious symbols such as crosses, hijabs, turbans and yarmulkes. This not only affects people currently working in the public sector, but also the youth who aspire to those careers.
VIEW CASE

Fill Up On Free Speech 

The Ontario legislature passed a law that forces gas station owners to put up stickers with the government party line on pollution pricing or the carbon tax. The government should not force anyone to share their message. If the station owners choose to not put up the stickers, they can be handed a new fine every day. That’s called “compelled political speech.” That’s unconstitutional.

VIEW CASE

Racial Profiling

Canadian police detain thousands of racialized persons in suspicionless roadside stops each year. These police powers enable racial profiling and we believe they are unconstitutional.
VIEW CASE

Protecting Reproductive Rights 

A New Brunswick regulation restricts access to abortion unless done in approved hospitals, even though this restriction is not medically necessary or justified. The New Brunswick law has createD a serious issue for New Brunswick women, girls and trans people who need access to abortion, a basic form of health care.

VIEW CASE

 

 

 

Fighting Strip Searches

In 2001, the Supreme Court of Canada called strip searches “one of the most extreme exercises of police power” and “inherently humiliating and degrading”. So why has Canada’s federal prison system carried out hundreds of thousands of unnecessary strip searches since then? These are not trivial intrusions. Canadians serving sentences are forced to undergo highly invasive searches in low-risk situations, such as leaving a secure area, or even upon release from prison. These searches can inflict severe psychological trauma, particularly for those with a history of being abused. We’re asking the federal government to end these harmful practices.

VIEW CASE

Fighting Solitary Confinement

Solitary confinement is the practice of confining someone in conditions of extreme isolation. Getting the practice ruled unconstitutional has been a major goal of both CCLA and BCCLA.  We went to Canada’s highest court for a showdown with the federal government.

VIEW CASE

 

Toronto's Smart City 

Waterfront Toronto contracted with Google’s sibling Sidewalk Labs to create a smart city project in downtown Toronto. This project would be a sensor-laden neighbourhood, collecting data on people who live, work, or visit the area. Losing the ability to be a face in the crowd, and so much of our privacy, is what’s at stake. So we launched a legal action to reset the project.

VIEW CASE

Detasking Toronto Police Report

CCLA Partners on Report, entitled Rethinking Community Safety – A Step Forward For Toronto, urging City of Toronto to shift resources and responsibilities away from the police and towards alternative crisis response and social support mechanisms.
VIEW REPORT

Protest Rights & the G20

Canadians deserve to know why the security failed to fulfill its role to protect the right to protest, which brings together a number of basic civil liberties including freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of peaceful assembly.
VIEW CASE

Strip Searches in Ontario Prisons

June 21, 2022

COVID-19

Stay up to date with all the latest work that CCLA is doing to monitor the response to COVID-19, ensuring it’s based on science and is not unnecessarily intrusive to our liberties.

Bill 21

Bill 21 is a law which disproportionately impacts people who are already marginalized. New Quebec laws ban Canadians working as teachers, lawyers, police officers, and more from wearing religious symbols such as crosses, hijabs, turbans and yarmulkes. This not only affects people currently working in the public sector, but also the youth who aspire to those careers.

Fill Up On Free Speech

The Ontario legislature passed a law that forces gas station owners to put up stickers with the government party line on pollution pricing or the carbon tax. The government should not force anyone to share their message. If the station owners choose to not put up the stickers, they can be handed a new fine every day. That’s called “compelled political speech.” That’s unconstitutional.

Racial Profiling

Waterfront Toronto contracted with Google’s sibling Sidewalk Labs to create a smart city project in downtown Toronto. This project would be a sensor-laden neighbourhood, collecting data on people who live, work, or visit the area. Losing the ability to be a face in the crowd, and so much of our privacy, is what’s at stake. So we launched a legal action to reset the project.

Reproductive Rights

Bill 21 is a law which disproportionately impacts people who are already marginalized. New Quebec laws ban Canadians working as teachers, lawyers, police officers, and more from wearing religious symbols such as crosses, hijabs, turbans and yarmulkes. This not only affects people currently working in the public sector, but also the youth who aspire to those careers.

Fighting Strip Searches

In 2001, the Supreme Court of Canada called strip searches “one of the most extreme exercises of police power” and “inherently humiliating and degrading”. So why has Canada’s federal prison system carried out hundreds of thousands of unnecessary strip searches since then? These are not trivial intrusions. Canadians serving sentences are forced to undergo highly invasive searches in low-risk situations, such as leaving a secure area, or even upon release from prison. These searches can inflict severe psychological trauma, particularly for those with a history of being abused. We’re asking the federal government to end these harmful practices.

Fighting Solitary Confinement

Solitary confinement is the practice of confining someone in conditions of extreme isolation. Getting the practice ruled unconstitutional has been a major goal of both CCLA and BCCLA. We went to Canada’s highest court for a showdown with the federal government.

Toronto’s Smart City

Waterfront Toronto contracted with Google’s sibling Sidewalk Labs to create a smart city project in downtown Toronto. This project would be a sensor-laden neighbourhood, collecting data on people who live, work, or visit the area. Losing the ability to be a face in the crowd, and so much of our privacy, is what’s at stake. So we launched a legal action to reset the project.

Detasking Toronto Police

Waterfront Toronto contracted with Google’s sibling Sidewalk Labs to create a smart city project in downtown Toronto. This project would be a sensor-laden neighbourhood, collecting data on people who live, work, or visit the area. Losing the ability to be a face in the crowd, and so much of our privacy, is what’s at stake. So we launched a legal action to reset the project.

Protest Rights & the G20

The Ontario legislature passed a law that forces gas station owners to put up stickers with the government party line on pollution pricing or the carbon tax. The government should not force anyone to share their message. If the station owners choose to not put up the stickers, they can be handed a new fine every day. That’s called “compelled political speech.” That’s unconstitutional.

Latest Briefs and Updates

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CCLA Argues Before the Quebec Court of Appeal in Landmark Racial Profiling Case

March 5, 2024
MONTREAL — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association will appear before the Court of Appeal of Quebec…

CCLA releases major report on bail system in Canada

February 26, 2024
CCLA is releasing its latest report on the bail system in Canada today, Still Failing:…

CCLA intervening in major case on police background checks at Court of Appeal for Ontario

February 15, 2024
The Court of Appeal for Ontario has granted leave to intervene to the CCLA in…

CCLA Intervenes in R. v. Archambault

February 14, 2024
TORONTO — Shakir Rahim, Director of the Criminal Justice Program of the Canadian Civil Liberties…

CTV News: More than 80% of inmates in Ontario jails last year were legally innocent, awaiting trial: data

January 30, 2024
“We at CCLA, like others, we care about public safety,” Rahim said."We just want to…

CCLA and QPLC Jointly Participating in Baker Inquest

January 29, 2024
TORONTO — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and Queen’s Prison Law Clinic are jointly participating…

CCLA Before the Supreme Court in CBC v. R to Oppose ‘Secret Trials’

December 12, 2023
TORONTO — The CCLA will appear before the Supreme Court of Canada in Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, et…

State Accountability for Unconstitutional Legislation: CCLA intervening before Supreme Court in AGC v. Power

December 7, 2023
TORONTO — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is appearing as an intervenor before the Supreme Court of…

CCLA Commends Senate for Passing Bill C-48 Amendments, Urges House of Commons Support

November 29, 2023
TORONTO — Following the Senate’s passage of Bill C-48 on bail reform, Shakir Rahim, Director of the Criminal…

Protecting Your Rights in Court – CCLA granted leave to intervene in R. v. Archambault before Supreme Court of Canada

November 24, 2023
In September 2019, federal legislation (Bill C-75) came into force limiting the availability of preliminary…

CCLA Proposed Amendment to Bill C-48 Adopted by Senate Committee

October 18, 2023
TORONTO — Following the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs’ adoption of amendments to Bill…

Protecting Judicial Independence – CCLA Intervention in R. v. Edwards et al. at Supreme Court of Canada

October 12, 2023
The CCLA will appear as an intervenor before the Supreme Court of Canada in R.…

CCLA Remarks to Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs – Bill C-48 (restricting bail)

October 6, 2023
On October 4, 2023, Shakir Rahim (Director of the Criminal Justice Program) testified before the…

CCLA Proposes Key Amendment on Bill C-48

October 4, 2023
TORONTO — In advance of his testimony before the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Shakir…

CCLA Urges Senate to Exercise Sober Second Thought on Bill C-48 Restricting Bail

September 28, 2023
TORONTO — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association delivered its submission to the Senate Committee on Legal…

CCLA Alarmed that House of Commons Will Not Hold Committee Hearings on Bill C-48

September 19, 2023
TORONTO — Shakir Rahim, Director of Criminal Justice for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA),…

CCLA Calls for Immediate Reforms to Prison Strip Searches in Ontario, Implementation of Body Scanners as Alternative

August 28, 2023
TORONTO — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is demanding the Government of Ontario fix significant…

Supreme Court clarifies role of court-appointed lawyers (amicus) for unrepresented accused persons

August 17, 2023
On July 28, 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in R. v.…

CBC: Arctic Bay residents raise concerns after RCMP search mail

August 11, 2023
Shakir Rahim, a lawyer and director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association's criminal justice program,…

Newstalk 1010: Ontario police groups, legal advocates call for different approaches to proposed bail reform

August 1, 2023
Shakir Rahim, Criminal Justice Program Director, appeared on Newstalk 1010 to discuss proposed bail reform.

Canadian Civil Liberties Association Launches Fund Honouring Clayton Ruby’s Storied Legacy of Social Justice Advocacy

July 27, 2023
TORONTO — In commemoration of the late Clayton Ruby's extraordinary impact on advancing social justice…

The Hill Times: National Police Federation, police chiefs association favour bail reform bill, but advocacy groups wary of bail denial as ‘red herring’

July 24, 2023
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the John Howard Society are wary of Bill C-48,…

Civil Society Groups Demand Bail Reform Changes, Canada an ‘International Embarassment’

July 10, 2023
OTTAWA — The Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS), the Canadian Civil Liberties Association…

Supreme Court endorses high threshold to dismiss abuse of process applications

June 15, 2023
On April 28, 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in R. v.…

CCLA and civil society concerned about flawed RCMP and CBSA oversight legislation

June 13, 2023
While Bill C-20 is a crucial measure to ensure greater accountability of the Canada Border…

Toronto.com: Fix Canada’s ‘broken’ bail system by giving more people bail, and more supports, some Toronto experts say

June 1, 2023
“The denial of bail should not be seen as the solution to public safety risks”…

The Maple: Tightened Bail Restrictions Unlikely To Curb Violent Crime, Experts Warn

May 25, 2023
In January, the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS) and the Canadian Civil Liberties…

The Globe and Mail: The flip side of bail reform in Canada

May 23, 2023
But as we said earlier this week, an equally important issue – one that politicians…

CBC: Justice minister says federal government could not go much further on bail reform

May 21, 2023
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association said, "We believe that every person in Canada deserves to…

CP24: CCLA Says Bill C-48 Will Not Make Public Safer

May 17, 2023
Shakir Rahim appeared on CP24 to discuss his concerns with Bill C-48 and how it…

CCLA Reacts to Bill C-48

May 17, 2023
TORONTO — Shakir Rahim, Director of Criminal Justice for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), reacted…

CCLA Reacts to R v McColman Decision

March 27, 2023
OTTAWA — Shakir Rahim, Director of Criminal Justice for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA),…

Court agrees with CCLA that police background checks require oversight

March 9, 2023
On February 27, 2023, the Divisional Court in Ontario released its decision in Khorsand v.…

The Agenda: Is Ontario’s Police Watchdog Effective?

March 3, 2023
It's never good news when we learn that the Special Investigations Unit – the SIU…

CBC: Court delays not just a New Brunswick problem: civil liberties lawyer

March 1, 2023
Shakir Rahim, a lawyer and director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association's criminal justice program,…

Police-involved deaths on the rise across Canada

February 23, 2023
CCLA welcomes the launch of a publicly accessible online database tracking police-involved deaths across Canada.…

Press Release: Police-involved deaths on the rise across Canada

February 23, 2023
Publicly accessible living online database tracking police-involved deaths launched Database website: https://trackinginjustice.ca/ Ottawa, Ontario –…

Supreme Court Dodges Key Issue in R. v. McGregor

February 21, 2023
A majority of the Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. McGregor opted not to…

Responding to Recent Calls for Bail Reform

February 2, 2023
How does Canada's bail system operate? Are we doing a good job protecting public safety?…

CCLA Demands Release of Death in Custody Videotapes

January 31, 2023
MONTREAL — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is demanding the release of all video footage…

Supreme Court Maintains Importance of Proportionality in Criminal Sentencing

January 27, 2023
The CCLA welcomes the Supreme Court of Canada’s decisions in R v. Hills and R.…

New Report Released: Ontario Deaths in Custody on the Rise 

December 20, 2022
Despite a declining provincial custody population, deaths in custody in Ontario are increasing at an…

The Globe and Mail: B.C. bail policy change raises Charter concerns

November 24, 2022
After news of the bill's repeal, Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, the executive director and general counsel…

A Victory at the Supreme Court for Evidence-Based Criminal Law

October 28, 2022
On October 28 the Supreme Court released its decision in R. v. Ndhlovu. The decision…

The Guardian: Canada court rules random traffic stops are racist and unconstitutional

October 26, 2022
A Canadian court has ruled that random traffic stops violate the country’s charter, striking down…

Huge Victory Against Racial Profiling in Quebec Superior Court

October 26, 2022
MONTREAL — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (“CCLA”), as a party intervening in the case…

Landmark Racial Profiling Decision – Unofficial English Translation – Quebec Superior Court (select passages)

October 25, 2022
UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION of Joseph-Christopher Luamba (Plaintiff) v Attorney General of Québec and Attorney General of…

Huge Victory Against Racial Profiling: Decision from Quebec Superior Court

October 25, 2022
Huge victory against racial profiling in Quebec! We were very happy to work in support…

Disappointing Supreme Court decision on ‘voluntary’ statements to the police

October 14, 2022
On October 14, 2022, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in R v…

CTV News: Denying bail to reduce B.C. crime a ‘dangerous’ proposition: Canadian Civil Liberties Association

October 13, 2022
The way crime and the bail system are being talked about in B.C is being…

CCLA at the Supreme Court to ensure meaningful adjudication of Charter claims

October 4, 2022
The CCLA is at the Supreme Court of Canada today arguing that courts should not…

No, Longer Prison Sentences do not Reduce Crime

September 16, 2022
Over 100 criminologists, social scientists, legal academics and civil society organizations have signed a letter…

Groups: Canada must end “extreme”, prolonged solitary confinement

August 30, 2022
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association, John Howard Society Canada, the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry…

CCLA and Others Renew Calls to Limit Dry Cell Use – An “Extreme” Form of Solitary Confinement

August 30, 2022
Earlier this summer the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and a number of other groups urged…

Death in Vancouver highlights lethality of “less lethal” weapons

August 25, 2022
On Monday morning Chris Amyotte, a 42-year-old father of seven from Winnipeg and member of…

Human Rights Tribunal Finds Police DNA Sweep was Discriminatory

August 23, 2022
Earlier this week the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal ruled that the Ontario Provincial Police (“OPP”)…

CCLA Intervening in Challenge to Sex Work Laws

August 16, 2022
The CCLA recently filed its written argument in Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform…

CCLA argues against expanded police detention powers at Supreme Court

August 10, 2022
CCLA is intervening in a case before the Supreme Court to argue that the police…

La lutte contre le profilage racial se poursuit devant les tribunaux et dans les communautés

July 7, 2022
POUR DIFFUSION IMMÉDIATE LA LUTTE CONTRE LE PROFILAGE RACIAL SE POURSUIT DEVANT LES TRIBUNAUX ET…

Racial Profiling on Trial: an Update from the Frontlines

June 28, 2022
Last year the CCLA became involved in a constitutional challenge to the laws that grant…

Canadian Civil Liberties Association launches constitutional challenge to Ontario’s strip search law

June 20, 2022
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and a woman with personal experience have launched a major…

Black Legal Action Centre & Canadian Civil Liberties Association React to TPS Report

June 15, 2022
Today, the Prison Pandemic Papers were launched online, making available previously unpublished government records.

Trial Begins in Major Constitutional Challenge Targeting Racial Profiling

May 30, 2022
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is joining with a diverse group of civil society…

Applying the Charter Outside of Canada

May 16, 2022
Does the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms apply to the actions of law enforcement…

SCC Rules on Constitutionality of Post-Arrest Searches of Houses

April 12, 2022
On Friday April 8 the Supreme Court released its ruling in R v Stairs, a…

CCLA Argues Against Discriminatory, Overly Punitive Criminal Code Provisions at the Supreme Court

March 29, 2022
Many parts of our criminal law sweep too many people into punitive regimes, creating adverse…

CCLA Argues for Basic Human Dignity as Fundamental Value in Criminal-Penal System Before the Supreme Court

March 29, 2022
Eliminating all hope of release by revisiting a person's incarceration in light of personal change…

Upholding the Right to be Free From Cruel and Unusual Punishment at the Supreme Court

March 22, 2022
CCLA appears before the Supreme Court of Canada in two cases, R v Hills and…

Prison Pandemic Papers Documenting Impact of COVID-19 in Jails, Prisons & Penitentiaries Across Canada Launched

March 8, 2022
Today, the Prison Pandemic Papers were launched online, making available previously unpublished government records.

Quebec Organizations Join the Call for Federal Criminal Record Reform

February 22, 2022
The Fresh Start Coalition, which includes the CCLA, announced today that several leading Quebec organisations…

Protecting the Right to Silence and Ensuring Meaningful Remedies When Police Violate the Charter

February 14, 2022
CCLA is appearing before the Supreme Court of Canada to reinforce the limits of state…

Standing up for informational privacy and evidence-based criminal law

February 10, 2022
This week, CCLA is appearing before the Supreme Court of Canada to defend robust protection…

CCLA Launches Latest Tool to Combat Carding & Racial Profiling

December 13, 2021
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) today released their next salvo in the fight against…

CCLA joins over 60 civil society organizations to call for criminal record reform

November 17, 2021
On November 17, the CCLA joined with dozens of other organizations to urge the federal…

CCLA Pushes for a Strong, Independent Check Against Wrongful Convictions

August 22, 2021
David Milgaard and Thomas Sophonow are just two of the dozens of people who our…

CCLA Intervenes in Court Challenge Against Racial Profiling

July 20, 2021
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is intervening in a constitutional challenge before the Superior Court…

Coalition Pens Open Letter to CSC, Renews Calls to End Prolonged Solitary Confinement

July 6, 2021
In June 2021, the Correctional Service of Canada (“CSC”) invited dozens of community organizations to…

CCLA to Appear Before Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario in Police Background Checks Case

June 29, 2021
Thairu Taban and Josslyn Mounsey were hired by Metrolinx as Transit Safety Communications Operators. They…

CCLA to Appear Before the Supreme Court in Police Search and Seizure Case

June 11, 2021
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) has been granted leave to intervene in the upcoming…

CCLA on Ontario’s Proposed Changes to Regulations Governing Solitary Confinement

June 9, 2021
On June 4, 2021, the CCLA made submissions to the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor…

CCLA Criminal Record Survey

May 31, 2021
Do you have a criminal record or police record? Have you tried to get a…

CCLA’s Submissions on Bill 251

May 20, 2021
On May 13, 2021, the CCLA provided written submissions on Ontario’s Bill 251, the Combating…

CCLA and PPMP Release New Report Examining Covid-19 Policing in the Second Wave

May 11, 2021
Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Policing the Pandemic Mapping Project released a new report…

Update on CCLA’s Challenge to Ontario’s New Regulation

April 17, 2021
"We will take yes for an answer and put this legal challenge on pause, with…

CCLA to Challenge Ontario’s “Black Friday” Regulation

April 17, 2021
“We have today retained counsel and are preparing to go to court in the coming…

Ontario Government’s Loss in the Court of Appeal is a Victory for Accountability

April 1, 2021
An Ontario Court of Appeal decision has handed a victory to advocates of the rule…

Premier Legault—It’s Time To Drop The Curfew

March 23, 2021
The CCLA is speaking out against Premier Legault’s unjust Quebec curfew.

CCLA and Partners Release Update on COVID-19 and Prison Settings

March 19, 2021
CCLA along with its organizational partners in the Prison Pandemic Partnership is calling upon federal,…

CCLA Applies to Intervene at Supreme Court of Canada in Sentencing Process Cases

March 12, 2021
On May 18, pro bono counsel representing the CCLA appeared before the Supreme Court of…

CCLA and Partners Notch New Legal Win in Thunder Bay

March 12, 2021
Thunder Bay’s Medical Officer of Health has rescinded her February 8th Class Order targeting individuals…
Commuter reading the paper while waiting for a train

Race and Criminal Injustice Report: Q and A by CCLA Special Advisor, Anti-Black Racism, Professor Akwasi Owusu-Bempah

March 10, 2021
CCLA Special Advisor on Anti-Black Racism, Professor Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, recently sat down for a Q+A…

CCLA Calls Out Thunder Bay’s Unconstitutional COVID-19 Order

March 8, 2021
On February 8, 2021, Thunder Bay’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. DeMille, issued a Class…

Open Letter to Federal Leaders: Do not Expand Anti-Terrorism Laws in Name of Anti-Racism

February 22, 2021
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

Better Safe Than Sorry is the Motto of a Police State

February 19, 2021
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

New Analysis of COVID-19 Infections Behind Bars Underscores the Need to Depopulate Prisons

February 3, 2021
CCLA, as part of its Prison Pandemic Partnership Project, is helping to track the spread…

National Coalition Calls on Government to Act to Protect Prisoners Against COVID-19

January 21, 2021
Yesterday, CCLA joined with a coalition of organizations to again call on the Canadian government…

CCLA on Ontario’s Stay-at-Home Order

January 14, 2021
“As the Ontario Government announced a 28-day stay-at-home order, what concerns us the most is…

Rethinking Community Safety

January 12, 2021
A Step Forward for Toronto

CCLA Sounds Alarm as COVID in Prisons Reaches Unprecedented Levels

January 12, 2021
Preliminary findings released today by the Prison Pandemic Partnership, which includes the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, reveal…

CCLA Partners on Report Urging Toronto to Detask Police

January 4, 2021
A new report released this morning is urging the City of Toronto to shift resources…

Justice Vs. Bail: Canada’s Broken Criminal Justice System

December 30, 2020
We talk to Dr. Jane Sprott and James Fauvelle. Dr. Sprott is a professor in…

Ad Hoc Tribunals During Public Emergencies

December 4, 2020
We can be justifiably smug in Canada about our internationally renowned independent judiciary, in contrast…

Justice Vs. Solitary Confinement: Torture in Canadian Prisons

November 30, 2020
Justice Vs. looks at how solitary confinement is used within the Canadian criminal justice system,…

CBSA Oversight and Ebrahim Toure

November 26, 2020
We renew our calls for the establishment of an independent, civilian-led oversight commission with a…

COVID-19 Fines Will Likely Make Pandemic Worse

November 20, 2020
On November 7, Dr. Bonnie Henry, British Columbia’s provincial health officer, held an unusual press…

A Victory for Justice and Equality: SCC Finds Ontario Law Discriminates Based on Mental Disability

November 20, 2020
In a strong decision released today, the Supreme Court of Canada has decided that Ontario’s…

A Civil Liberties Take on Canada’s Second Wave of COVID-19 Emergency Orders

November 19, 2020
During the first wave of COVID, we were quite critical of a number of the…

Guess Who’s Coming to Thanksgiving Dinner, Quebec?

October 12, 2020
The Quebec government has put the police on the frontlines of the pandemic and placed…

Quebec Doubles Down on Its Punitive Approach to COVID

October 5, 2020
Quebec’s new COVID restrictions are simultaneously strict and bewildering. Millions of Quebeckers in the ‘red…

Inaccurate, Unreliable, Dysfunctional: A Glimpse Into Ontario’s Now-Defunct COVID Database for Police

September 30, 2020
In the spring the Ontario government launched a database of COVID test results, with the…

Montreal makes history to promote transparency and protect privacy.

September 24, 2020
You probably missed the landmark decision by a major Canadian law-maker this week, striking a…

Montreal Surveillance Tech Moratorium Presser

September 18, 2020
CCLA urges Montréal City council to protect their constituents from identity and personal data theft.

Montreal Councillor Rotrand’s Initiative to Mandate Accountability & Transparency

September 17, 2020
We support Councillor Rotrand's initiative to mandate public accountability and transparency for surveillance technologies purchased,…

Ontario Government Revokes Emergency Order

August 17, 2020
The Ontario government has ended police access to a COVID-19 database after CCLA and partners…

CCLA & Partners Launch Action to Stop Ontario Government’s Disclosure of COVID Status to Police

July 16, 2020
The CCLA has joined with Aboriginal Legal Services (ALS), the Black Legal Action Centre, and…

Letter to Bill Blair

July 8, 2020
Subject: Ban on use of facial recognition surveillance by federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Class Action Launched re Illegal Strip Searches

July 7, 2020
A major class action is being launched today on behalf of Canadians illegally strip searched…

Coalition Calls on Government to Release COVID Information on Ontario Jails

July 7, 2020
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

Stay Off the Grass: COVID-19 and Law Enforcement in Canada

June 23, 2020
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

CCLA to Winnipeg Police: Police, and Target Practice in Our Neighbourhoods

June 3, 2020
We have been contacted by Gabriela Aguero, a local resident who was understandably panicked by…

CCLA Writes to NL: Reconsider Travel Ban and Bill 38

May 12, 2020
Pursuant to a Special Measure issued by the Chief Medical Officer of Health (Special Measures…

CCLA and Partners File Legal Case Against the Correctional Service of Canada

May 12, 2020
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and its coalition partners have filed a constitutional challenge to…

CCLA Questions Ottawa Policing

April 24, 2020
Ignorance of the law is ordinarily an invalid defence. But nothing is ordinary about a…

CCLA to Ontario: Clarify How People Can Fight Fines

April 24, 2020
Two days ago we wrote to the Ontario government about the fact that people are…

CCLA and Partners Question Government on Decision to Share COVID-19 Test Results with Police

April 23, 2020
Last week police services across Ontario quietly got access to a new database – a…

Letter to Correctional Service of Canada

April 22, 2020
We express our deep concern regarding the health and well-being of the inmates and staff…

Too Many COVID Charges, Too Many Tickets, Too Many Fines.

April 21, 2020
Too many COVID charges, too many tickets, too many fines. It’s a public health crisis,…

Pandemic Policing Has Taken a Punitive Turn in Ottawa

April 7, 2020
Being a mature democratic country with a constitutional bill of rights means that instant, mass…

CCLA to Ottawa: Stop Overpolicing During a Pandemic

April 6, 2020
Firstly, we are receiving a large number of reports from the public that your police…

CCLA to Attorney General: Concerns About Carding Under Emergency Order

April 3, 2020
As you know concerns about carding, racial and social profiling led to a serious crisis…

Drastic Action Needed; Protect Incarcerated, Correctional Workers & Broader Communities

April 2, 2020
A Letter from CCLA to All Provinces and Territories: New Brunswick

CCLA to Provinces & Territories: Drastic Action Needed Now

April 2, 2020
CCLA to Provinces and Territories: CCLA has written to government ministers across the country to…

Carding in a Pandemic

April 2, 2020
While we certainly understand the enormity of the pandemic, and of the province’s task in…

CCLA to CACP: Transparency in Emergency Police Powers is Needed

April 2, 2020
I am writing to urge that the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police take an…

CCLA to Attorney General: Emergency Management of the Justice Sector Now Needed

March 22, 2020
In particular, I am writing about three matters: emergency funding of provincial legal aid services;…

Protecting the Forgotten During Canada’s Response to Coronavirus: The Jailed

March 19, 2020
Canada must protect those who are often forgotten in a crisis: legally innocent people held…

Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Appeal by Government against CCLA’s Challenge of Solitary Confinement Laws

February 13, 2020
Today, the Supreme Court of Canada issued its decision granting the government of Canada leave…

Attorney General of Canada V. Corporation of The Canadian Civil Liberties Association Factum

June 28, 2019
Attorney General Of Canada V. Corporation of The Canadian Civil Liberties Association Factum

Solitary Confinement: The Case Goes On

June 18, 2019
Canada’s solitary confinement regime is due to end on Monday but the government has sought…

Victory at The Supreme Court: A Fight for Everyone’s Right to Privacy and Equality (R v. Le)

May 31, 2019
Victory! Today, the Supreme Court rendered a monumental decision recognizing that police carding in a…

CCLA at the Supreme Court: The Worst Carding Case in Canadian History?

May 30, 2019
On Friday May 31st, the Supreme Court of Canada is going to release its decision…

CCLA Voices Concern Over Several Measures In Budget Bill

May 13, 2019
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

Manitoba Homicide Stats Generating More Heat Than Light

May 8, 2019
Now what?  It’s darkest before the dawn, to be sure, but what does Winnipeg or…

Solitary confinement is no joking matter – and the courts are not amused – AGAIN!

April 29, 2019
The Ontario Court of Appeal has once more handed down a scathing decision to the…

Ontario Court of Appeals on Federal Governments Second Request for an Extension on Solitary Confinement

April 26, 2019
Ontario Court of Appeals on Federal Governments Second Request for an Extension on Solitary Confinement

CCLA at the Supreme Court: What Happens When the Police Arrest You for a Non-Existent Offence?

April 18, 2019
Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. It may be hard to believe, but earlier…

Sex Offender Registries That Discriminate Against Those With Mental Illness Offend Charter Equality Guarantee

April 4, 2019
Ontario’s highest court handed advocates a significant victory today, finding that the sex offender registration…

CCLA at the Supreme Court: A Momentous Bail Decision for Automatic Reviews of Detention

March 29, 2019
In R. v. Myers, the Supreme Court was tasked with interpreting a somewhat obscure Criminal…

End to Solitary Confinement as We Know It

March 28, 2019
In an extraordinary decision, the Ontario Court of Appeal has ordered an end to prolonged…

CCLA at The Supreme Court: When Can The Police Arrest You to ‘Protect’ You?

March 21, 2019
How far can police officers go when initiating a “protective” arrest? Can innocent protestors be…

CCLA to Ottawa: Call an SCC Reference

February 23, 2019
Of the many tools at the disposal of a government in times of profound uncertainty,…

No Remedy and No Right – SCC Strikes a Double Blow

February 8, 2019
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

Shaving the Constitutional Tiger: Attorney General 101

February 8, 2019
As the SNC-Lavalin prosecution controversy unfolds, Canadians are digging into a part of our constitution…

The PMO has Discovered the Presumption of Innocence

February 7, 2019
SNC-Gate might be the way the Kremlin works, wherein Putin officials manipulate the justice system…

Being in a wheelchair is no reason for being held in solitary

February 7, 2019
Gregory Allen was placed in solitary confinement because he is in a wheelchair. He was held in…

CCLA at the Supreme Court: Does a Charter violation require a remedy?

February 6, 2019
Mr. Bird doing too much bird is the issue before the Supreme Court of Canada…

BC Court of Appeal Strikes Down Another Mandatory Minimum Sentence

January 23, 2019
Just two months after declaring the mandatory minimum sentence for possession of child pornography unconstitutional…

CCLA Wins Important Battle Against Feds On Solitary Confinement

December 17, 2018
The feds were scolded today by the Chief Justice of Ontario and its highest court,…

WHAMMY! Supreme Court of Canada Strikes Down Canada’s Ugliest Populist Criminal Law

December 14, 2018
It’s not everyday that civil libertarians hit a home run in the Supreme Court of…

Blowing the Whistle on Saskatoon’s Proposed Rules for Rideshares and Taxis

December 14, 2018
This morning we wrote to Saskatoon’s Mayor and City Council to share our concerns about…

New Act Protects Ontarians From Release Of Unproven Allegations

December 13, 2018
Across the country, Canadians who have never been found guilty of a crime are unable to…

Police and Pot: Let Them Smoke, Vape, and – Yes – Eat Cake (or Brownies!) Too

December 7, 2018
Police leaders are violating the civil liberties of their own ranks and perpetuating a culture…

Ontario Leads The Way On Police Record Checks Reform

November 1, 2018
On November 1, 2018, the Police Records Checks Reform Act (PRCRA) comes into force.
Know your rights

What You Need To Know About The New Police Record Checks Reform Act

November 1, 2018
On November 1, 2018, the Police Records Checks Reform Act (PRCRA) comes into force. Police record checks…

‘This Time We Really Mean It’ Won’t Cut It for Bail Reform

October 29, 2018
Fixing the broken law of bail cannot happen without some belated action by legislators meeting…

Rights groups challenging solitary confinement in court release joint statement on Bill C-83

October 16, 2018
Today the three organizations fighting the federal government in BC and Ontario courts on solitary…

10 things that will still be a crime after cannabis is legalized

October 16, 2018
The cannabis industry is being legalized – but there are still plenty of laws that…

Bill C-75: Right Goals, Wrong Tools

September 25, 2018
Over the next few weeks, witnesses will gather on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to share…

CCLA Urges Toronto to Delay Purchase of Gunshot-Location Technology ShotSpotter

July 23, 2018
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has serious concerns regarding the impact of new police surveillance…

We Need Better De-Escalation and Non-Escalation Responses to People in Crisis

July 19, 2018
On Wednesday, July 18, 2018, officers from the Dryden Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) tasered a…

INCLO Report Release: Defending Dissent: State Practices that Protect and Promote the Right to Protest

June 27, 2018
INCLO and the IHRC launched a report today that provides practical guidance on how law enforcement…

R v Wong: Guilty Pleas Must Be Voluntary, Unequivocal, and Informed

May 25, 2018
Today, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a decision in R v Wong holding that an accused…

Keep Your Promise On Solitary Confinement, Groups Tell Ottawa

May 14, 2018
Rights groups in legal challenges unite to urge government to comply with court orders.

Bill C45: Re-Criminalizing Cannabis

April 18, 2018
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

CCLA Court Challenge To Solitary Confinement: The Next Step

April 6, 2018
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

Ontario’s Policing Reform Legislation Can Still be Improved

March 2, 2018
The Canadian Civilian Liberties Association has long advocated for policing reform in Ontario. For decades,…

CCLA Addresses Committee on Impaired Driving Laws (Bill C-46)

March 1, 2018
On September 18, 2017, CCLA Director of Public Safety, Rob De Luca, made submissions on…

When a Criminal Record Becomes a Life Sentence: John Howard Society of Ontario

February 21, 2018
(Toronto, ON) Today the John Howard Society of Ontario (JHSO) revealed the hidden but ruinous…

G20 Civil Case Against Toronto Police Board Begins Today

February 5, 2018
This week, trial begins in a long-awaited civil case against Toronto Polices Services for its…

Legal Fight Against Solitary Confinement Continues

January 17, 2018
On December 18, 2017, Associate Chief Justice Frank Marrocco of the Ontario Superior Court released…

Court Strikes Down Solitary Confinement Regime in Response to CCLA’s Challenge

December 18, 2017
TORONTO, Ont. – In a victory for civil liberties, Associate Chief Justice Frank Marrocco of…

CCLA Announcement: Coalition Calls for Implementation of Loku Inquest Recommendations

October 3, 2017
The tragic shooting death of Andrew Loku should never have occurred. It took place within…

CCLA Segregation Challenge

September 13, 2017
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

CCLA Calls on Court to End Solitary Confinement – Hearing Starts September 11th

September 8, 2017
TORONTO, Ont. – On September 11th, 13th, 14th and 15th, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association…

CCLA Concerned by Coroner’s Report Findings of Soleiman Faqiri’s Death

July 21, 2017
The CCLA is greatly troubled by findings of the Coroner’s report concerning the death of…

Toronto Star Op-Ed Omar Khadr

July 6, 2017
The following is a re-print of an op-ed from the Toronto Star by Adriel Weaver…

International Women’s Day: Highlighting Issues of Indigenous Women in Prison System

March 8, 2017
On this International Women’s Day, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association recognizes the many women in…

Drug Recognition Expert’s Opinions Shouldn’t Be Taken As Incontrovertible Evidence

February 23, 2017
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

Senior Police Officer Gets Light Sentence For G20 Misconduct

June 15, 2016
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

Ontario Must Curtail Segregation In Provincial Jails

May 12, 2016
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…
Know your rights

Loku Inquest Must Address Bias In Policing

May 9, 2016
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

Canada To Join Critical Anti-Torture Protocol

May 3, 2016
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

Government must end solitary confinement of mentally ill prisoners.

March 10, 2010
PRESS RELEASE: Canadian prisons need to drastically re-evaluate their use of solitary confinement, especially where…