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TalkRights features content produced by CCLA volunteers and interviews with experts in their own words. Opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent the CCLA’s own policies or positions. For official publications, key reports, position papers, legal documentation, and up-to-date news about the CCLA’s work check out "THE LATEST" section of our website.

Check out our growing collection of useful links and resources about privacy rights compiled by Talk Rights volunteers, including related organizations, government resources, guides, and legal information. Is there something that should be on this list, but isn’t? Contribute at talkrights [at] ccla [dot] org.  For CCLA’s own materials on national security, visit the national security pages on our website under “Our Work“.

NATIONAL SECURITY ORGANIZATIONS

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA LINKS

  • A link explaining the National Security Act, 2017 including the problems it tried to remedy, a brief discussion of the CSE, and the Charter statement presented by the Minister of Justice. The Act tried to correct a number of problems with its predecessor, the National Security Act, 2015.
  • database containing all publications and reports from the Government of Canada on the issue of National Security. These publications address the current state of Canada’s National Security strategy, highlight its pitfalls, and give it direction, amongst other things.

INQUIRIES

  • The Arar Inquiry, report presented by Commissioner Dennis R O’Connor concerning Maher Arar, who was detained in New York on suspicions of terrorism and extradited to Syria. Arar was detained for over 10 months in inhumane conditions and tortured routinely before being declared “completely innocent” by Syrian officials. A public inquiry was launched where Arar was exonerated and the failure of Canadian officials to take proper action was highlighted.
  • Almalki, El Maati, Nureddin Inquiry, concerning three men who were detained and tortured in Syria. The report was chaired by former Puisne Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci. The report focuses on the inhumane conditions imposed on the Canadian citizens during their detainment and the deficiencies of Canadian Officials that contributed to these human rights violations.
  • The Air India Inquiry by retired Justice of the Supreme Court, John C Major, into the deadliest terrorist attack ever carried out on Canadians. A bomb was set off in an Air India flight while off the coast of Ireland. A total of 329 people were killed, including 268 Canadians. The inquiry revealed that the bombing could have been avoided had it not been for serious intelligence failures by Canadian agencies.

IMPORTANT LEGAL CASES

  • Bora Laskin law library resources on the case of Canadian citizen Omar Khadr. At 15 years old, Khadr was the last citizen of a western state to be detained at the infamous American Guantanamo bay prison. The prison has been widely criticized for its inhumane conditions and prisoner mistreatment. This page contains a wealth of information, including a timeline of events, court decisions, and the amicus brief.
  • X(re): a decision by the Federal Court limiting the scope of CSIS information collection powers. The judge ruled that CSIS could conduct espionage on foreigners and non-threats, but that the investigation had to be wholly within Canada. Large parts of the judgement are censored to protect sensitive information, but Noel J. is clearly confining CSIS to a narrower scope of operation.
  • R v Stinchcombe [1991] 3 SCR 326, is a landmark Canadian case concerning the disclosure of evidence. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled unanimously that an accused has a right to mount a full defence, which includes a duty to disclose on the part of prosecution. The issue is controversial in National Security matters because the legal system needs to strike a balance between an accused’s right to a fair trial, and the need for some clandestine operations where the protection of the Country is concerned.
  • Kazemi, et al v Islamic Republic of Iran, et al: Supreme Court decisions awarding damages to the estate and son of Zahra Kazemi, who was imprisoned, sexually assaulted, and tortured in Iran. Mrs. Kazemi tragically died over the course of her imprisonment, and a case was filed on her behalf. The decision highlights the atrocities of torture as well as its continued existence.

WEB RESOURCES (REMEMBER, FOR CCLA RESOURCES, CHECK OUT “OUR WORK“)

  • Amnesty International is an enormous body of resources concerning abuses of human rights across the globe. Since their beginning in the ‘60’s, they have advocated for a variety of issues, many of which relate directly to National Security concerns in Canada.
  • National Security law blog by Craig Forcese, professor of National Security law at the University of Ottawa’s common law faculty. Professor Forcese has been widely recognized for his work in advancing human rights in national security and for his contributions to the understanding of national security law and policy.
  • Open Canada, which produces multi-media content to explain and contextualize emerging and persistent international issues. National security and its collateral consequences are issues at the top of Open Canada’s agenda.
  •  The Canadian Human Rights Commission’s special report to parliament addressing human rights accountability in National Security Practices. The report addresses a number of concerns echoed by the CCLA, including the relationship between national security, human rights, and the rule of law.

SPECIAL TOPICS

DISCRIMINATION, LISTING, AND PROFILING

  • The University of Alberta explores the Canadian listing process. Listing involves creating a summary of terrorist entities to streamline one part of an exceedingly complex national protection framework. Experience indicates that lists are more often used during Immigration and Refugee Board decisions and have led to systematic discrimination against targeted groups.
  • report by the Canadian Human Rights Commission discussing the effectiveness of profiling from a national security perspective. Profiling has been used by law enforcement since well before 9/11 and theoretically focuses efforts to produce more effective national security. In practice, it has led to severe discrimination and systematic racism. The report asks: is it worth it?
  • A talk by Azeezah Kanji on the inherent racism in National Security in Canada. Kanji is an academic with a master’s in law who focuses on issues of national security. She is also the director of programming at the Noor cultural center. This speech was delivered at the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group’s annual general assembly.
  • An article discussing racial profiling in Canada’s war on terror in the wake of 9/11. The article is dated but still immensely relevant and makes important points concerning the futility of profiling in national security efforts.

DUE PROCESS, FAIRNESS, AND COUNTER-TERRORISM

  • The Canada Evidence Act regulates the admission and exclusion of evidence in court proceedings. Evidence in National Security proceedings has been controversial. Because of the nature of National Security, defendants may be unable to access and review all of the evidence presented against them.
  • paper by two of Canada’s leading experts on National Security law and policy, Kent Roach and Craig Forcese, responding to the Government’s proposed amendments to the intelligence to evidence process in court proceedings.
  • The University of Toronto’s faculty of law discusses the Charkaoui case, which challenged the constitutionality of the Security Certificate Regime. The regime permitted for immigrants to be denied access to Canada and detained on grounds of national security. The Supreme Court held unanimously that the regime violated the rights guaranteed in section 7 of the charter. However, the regime continues to exist in a modified form.
  • An article by Kent Roach discussing Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and national security in Canada. The paper compares two threads of jurisprudence in the interaction between these seemingly conflicting principles. Roach concludes with optimism that the rights in Section 7 will prevail over the human right violations of national security.

TORTURE

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.

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