The CCLA endorses the public policy recommendations in the ground-breaking report Unlawful Enforcers, concerning violations of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by major city police services in Ontario. The report was produced by research teams at Western University’s Faculty of Law and the Centre for Criminology & Sociolegal Studies at the University of Toronto.
“The report’s findings are grave, documenting over 1,000 Charter violations in a ten-year period by the Toronto, Ottawa, Peel, York, and Durham police services in reported criminal cases” said Shakir Rahim, Director of the Criminal Justice Program. “The recommendations in the report outline concrete steps to ensure transparency and accountability when a court finds a police officer violated the Charter” he added.
“The patterns identified in Unlawful Enforcers reveal systemic shortcomings that demand coordinated reform by prosecution services, police services, police service boards, and oversight agencies” said Harini Sivalingam, Director of the Equality Program.
Howard Sapers, Executive Director, emphasized, “These findings point to systemic failures that cannot be ignored. When Charter rights are repeatedly violated, public trust in our institutions erodes. The time for meaningful, coordinated reform is now.”
The report can be read here.
About the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
The CCLA is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada.
For the Media
For further comments, please contact us at media@ccla.org.
English (Canada) 
Français du Canada