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.

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COVID Related Resources

We have compiled and produced reports, guides, and other resources to help you stay informed about COVID’s impact on your civil liberties.

Our Recent COVID Related Cases

View our latest work and activity.

Latest COVID-19 Updates and Briefs

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Decision in Taylor v. Newfoundland Case

August 17, 2023
On May 11, 2020, CCLA sent a letter to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador…

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Today, the Prison Pandemic Papers were launched online, making available previously unpublished government records.

CCLA Reaction to the Revocation of the Declaration of Emergency

February 23, 2022
We welcome the government’s decision to revoke the proclamation of emergency – it is overdue.…

CCLA Reaction to Vote in the House

February 22, 2022
Abby Deshman, Director of Criminal Justice for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association made the following…

CCLA Will Fight Invocation of Emergencies Act in Court

February 17, 2022
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) announced today that it will pursue litigation to challenge…

Remarks From the Emergencies Act Press Release of February 2022

February 17, 2022
This week, the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act – an extreme law that has…

CCLA Statement on the Emergencies Act

February 15, 2022
The Emergencies Act can only be invoked, according to its own terms, when a situation…

CCLA’s Statement on Quebec’s Tax Proposal

January 12, 2022
Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms and acting General Counsel for the Canadian Civil Liberties…

CCLA to Premier Legault: End the Curfew

January 12, 2022
The CCLA has written to Quebec’s Premier, Francois Legault, urging him to reconsider and rescind…

CCLA to Minister: Choosing not to be vaccinated should not disentitle you from employment insurance

November 2, 2021
CCLA has written to Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, urging…

Fear, Loathing and the Law: Pushing the Limits of Legislating “Good” Behaviour

September 20, 2021
CCLA Essay by Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms and Brenda McPhail, Director of Privacy…
COVID Vaccine Passport

FAQ: Vaccine Passports

August 17, 2021
The lines are being drawn between those who support and oppose some version of a…

CCLA Responds to Toronto Ombudsman Report, Calls for Amnesty for Unfair COVID Tickets

July 30, 2021
Our two co-authored reports on COVID-19 and law enforcement, Stay off the Grass (June 2020)…

CCLA Seeks to Appeal Nova Scotia Anti-Protest Injunction

July 19, 2021
While the injunction is no longer in force in the province, we remain concerned about…

Statement on Toronto Ombudsman’s Report

July 9, 2021
This report is a robust affirmation of the issues we have been raising since the…

Nova Scotia Attempting to Avoid Public Scrutiny

June 24, 2021
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is concerned the Government of Nova Scotia is attempting…

Reaction To New Vaccine Passport ‘Benefits’

June 24, 2021
As Manitoba announces new “benefits” to be conferred on the fully vaccinated, the questions we…

Letter to Manitoba re: Vaccine Passports

June 17, 2021
We are writing regarding the Manitoba government’s plan to provide individuals with proof of vaccination…

Letter to Nunavut re: Travel and Self-Isolation Requirements

June 7, 2021
At the outset of the pandemic, when much was unknown, governments took a number of…

City of Toronto Progress Reports on Homeless Shelters

May 31, 2021
Weekly Progress Reports, published by the City of Toronto, detailing the capacity, occupancy, and other…

CCLA to Challenge Nova Scotia’s Protest Injunction

May 28, 2021
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

CCLA Taking Steps to Fight Nova Scotia’s Protest Injunction

May 18, 2021
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is taking steps to fight an injunction obtained by…

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…

Letter To NS re: Travel Restrictions

May 11, 2021
Nova Scotia’s current rules unreasonably restrict fundamental mobility rights invested in Canadian citizens and permanent…

Know Your Rights for Ontarians

April 23, 2021
Knowing your rights is an important tool to help you recognize when your rights have…

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…

Letter to NB re: Travel Restrictions

April 8, 2021
In our view, New Brunswick's current rules unreasonably restrict mobility rights guaranteed to Canadians by…

Statement on Anti-Asian Racism

April 6, 2021
Misplaced fear and ignorance feeds racism, today and yesterday. Growing up in British Columbia, the…

Canadian Rights During COVID-19: Interim Report on COVID’s Second Wave

March 30, 2021
Who cares about laws and rights during a pandemic? We do at CCLA because the…

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 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…

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…

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…

Letter to Attorney General and Minister of Transportation re: Recently Imposed Travel Restrictions

February 8, 2021
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

Can an Employer Force an Employee to Get a COVID-19 Vaccination?

February 4, 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…

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 Writes to David Lametti and Marc Garneau: Canadians Must be Allowed to Come Home

January 6, 2021
CCLA writing to the Government of Canada announcement of December 31, 2020 stating that, as…

Emergency Measures by Province

January 4, 2021
Public Health News in Canada: Issues and Updates

Public Health News: Emergency COVID Measures by Province

January 4, 2021
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has been granted permission to intervene in a case in…

CCLA Writes to BC Provincial Health Officer Regarding Religious Services

December 17, 2020
We are writing on behalf of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) and the…

CCLA Debates Vaccine Passports on TVO.org: Our Letter that Sparked the Debate

December 14, 2020
We are writing you about the bad idea floated from an Ontario executive podium respecting…

Mandatory Vaccination Laws: What Laws?

December 10, 2020
The Charter of Rights would have something to say about a law mandating vaccinations, if…

Proof of Vaccination

December 9, 2020
Ontario’s health minister openly suggested that people who don’t have proof they’ve chosen to receive…

Ad Hoc Tribunals During Public Emergencies

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

BC Travel Restrictions Unconstitutional, No New Fines Needed

November 20, 2020
The Canadian and British Columbia Civil Liberties Associations are raising concerns about travel restrictions expected…

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 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…

COVID Shines a Light on Need for Reform of Ontario’s Child Protection System

November 19, 2020
The pandemic has amplified many of the problems with our child protection system. There have…

Hybrid Classes Raise Privacy Risks

November 18, 2020
Our organization has received several calls from teachers in your Board expressing their feelings of…

CCLA Memorandum to Ministers Responsible for Human Rights

November 10, 2020
This memorandum sets forth the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s (CCLA) submissions for FPT Ministers responsible…

CCLA to NB: Do not Deny Students Access to Their Schools

November 10, 2020
Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) to object to the government’s unlawful treatment of students from…

Seeking Information About the Province’s Self-Isolation Order for Persons Entering Manitoba

October 30, 2020
The province of Manitoba currently has a self-isolation requirement for individuals entering the province from…

Why Mobility Rights Continue to Matter

October 28, 2020
Why we’re appealing the decision of the Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court of a few…

Superior Court Rules that the City of Toronto failed to protect the homeless.

October 15, 2020
The Ontario Superior Court ruled that the City of Toronto failed to comply with a…

CCLA Says Governing by Press Release, Not by Law, is COVID Governance by Stealth

October 14, 2020
In a letter dated October 14, we wrote to the Attorney General of Ontario over…

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…

The City of Toronto Breached the Agreement to Protect Those Experiencing Homelessness

September 30, 2020
The City of Toronto breached the agreement to protect those experiencing homelessness, and we are…

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…

City breached agreement to protect homeless

September 29, 2020
The City of Toronto is putting the lives of those experiencing homelessness as well as…

Statement to Select Special Public Health Act Review Committee, Legislative Assembly of Alberta

August 27, 2020
Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national, independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to furthering…

Ontario Government Revokes Emergency Order

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

Bill 195: Ontario’s Power Grab

July 20, 2020
The Ontario government is trying to end the legal state of emergency and simultaneously hold…

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…

CCLA to Ontario MPPs: Resist the Premier’s Undemocratic Power Grab

July 10, 2020
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

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…

Homelessness Advocates Take City Back to Court over COVID-19 Shelter Crisis

July 6, 2020
Homelessness advocates are taking the City of Toronto back to court, to enforce the City’s…

Contact Tracing App in Canada: To Download or Not

July 3, 2020
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

On Mandatory Masks

June 26, 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…

How Long Can We Live in a State of Emergency?

June 19, 2020
Some provinces and territories took longer than others to declare a legal emergency, begging the…

The Canadian Contact Tracing Experiment Begins

June 18, 2020
A social experiment in technologically-assisted tracking for public health purposes is about to being in…

CCLA Writes to YT: Mobility Rights and Travel to Yukon

May 28, 2020
We are writing you regarding the constitutionality and impact of the Border Control Measures (COVID-19)…

A Crisis is a Terrible Time to Legislate

May 27, 2020
There are two kinds of emergency management legislation: those legislated after a crisis is over,…

No Mask, No Service? Not so Fast.

May 27, 2020
When the Premier of Ontario was asked last week on a teleconference whether merchants can…

Privacy, Access to Information, and You: The COVID-19 Edition

May 26, 2020
As we flounder about looking for ways out of the COVID-19 climate of fear, and…

CCLA Writes to NU: Mobility Rights and Travel to Nunavut

May 26, 2020
Regarding mobility rights, pursuant to section 6(2) of the Charter, individuals may take up residence…

“Immunity Passports”: a New Journey to Inequality

May 26, 2020
As we flounder about looking for ways out of the COVID-19 climate of fear, and…

CCLA Writes to NWT: Mobility Rights and Travel to Northwest Territories

May 26, 2020
Regarding mobility rights, pursuant to section 6(2) of the Charter, individuals may take up residence…

CCLA In The Supreme Court: Mobility Rights

May 22, 2020
Originating Application Before The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador

There Are No Provincial Borders in Canada

May 21, 2020
The COVID19 provincial and territorial border closures are proving Mackenzie King’s truism that “Canada is…

CCLA and Coalition Partners Help Toronto’s Homeless Population

May 19, 2020
The City of Toronto has finally committed to enforceable physical distancing standards across its shelter…

CCLA Writes to PEI: Mobility Rights and Travel to PEI

May 19, 2020
Regarding mobility rights, pursuant to section 6(2) of the Charter, individuals may take up residence…

CCLA Writes to NB: Mobility Rights and Travel to New Brunswick

May 15, 2020
We are writing you regarding New Brunswick’s recently renewed and revised Mandatory Order related to…

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…

Promoting Health, Not Authoritarianism

May 1, 2020
Hundreds of epidemics have afflicted humankind. Few rivaled smallpox, which was easily spread and often…

Government Censorship and Pandemic “Mis”Information

April 28, 2020
Canada can flatten the curve without flattening free speech. Government censorship is hardly a public…

Children and Parents Belong Together, Especially During a Pandemic

April 24, 2020
It has come to our attention that many Children’s Aid Societies have effectively cancelled all…

CCLA Defends Toronto’s Homeless Population

April 24, 2020
Toronto has failed to protect homeless people in its over-crowded shelter and respite system –…

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…

CCLA to Ontario: Fix COVID Tix Process

April 23, 2020
Currently, under section 9 of the Provincial Offences Act, an individual is deemed not to…

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,…

CCLA with Coalition Warns Legal Action Against City of Toronto for Failure to Support Homeless People

April 21, 2020
Toronto has failed to protect homeless people in its over-crowded shelter and respite system –…

Data Surveillance by Canadian Governments as COVID Response: CCLA’s Privacy Protection Prescription

April 20, 2020
We are writing you about the use of technologically-mediated surveillance as a public health response…

CCLA to Northwest Territories Chief Public Health Officer

April 20, 2020
We are concerned in particular with the prohibitions on public and private outdoor gatherings contained…

The Albertan Government Covers its Tracks and Grabs Power in Bill 10

April 14, 2020
The Albertan government has capitalised on the confusion of the coronavirus crisis to cover up past mistakes and to grant…

CCLA to Nunavut: Concerns Restricting Gatherings

April 8, 2020
We have grave concerns that the order is unconstitutional. While we appreciate that public health…

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…

Physical Distancing Shouldn’t Preclude Public Dissent

April 3, 2020
Remember protest and dissent? It is hard to believe that just six weeks ago the…

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…

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…

Freedom Fighting During a Pandemic

April 2, 2020
Go read Leonard Cohen’s “Moving Into a Period” in his Book of Longing. Cohen foresaw…

CCLA’s Urgent COVID Response for Toronto Homeless Population

March 29, 2020
We are writing you about actions and omissions by the City of Toronto with respect…

CCLA to Federal Attorney General and Federal Governor General

March 26, 2020
I am writing about the failure of Canada to disclose its Governor in Council orders…

Emergency Powers and Transparency

March 25, 2020
For civil libertarians, invoking emergency legislation is usually considered no-no. As a civil rights watchdog…

Public Health, Pandemics and Privacy

March 20, 2020
Technology can be used as a tool to support human health and dignity, or to…

Democratic Hygiene Amid Tough Talk by NFLD Health Minister

March 19, 2020
On 18th March 2020, Newfoundland Health Minister John Haggie, held a press conference to announce…

Update on Air Travel Restrictions for Canadians Returning Home

March 19, 2020
CCLA asked the feds for more timely transparency by releasing their interim Cabinet orders for…

Emergency Orders Declared Across The Country

March 19, 2020
Emergency management orders can be made by federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government, where…

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…

Balancing Public Health with the Rights of Canadians

March 19, 2020
CCLA speaks to various media outlets across the country to discuss the importance of upholding…

CCLA Wants to Bring Canadians Home. Now.

March 19, 2020
The federal government announces that symptomatic Canadians stuck abroad will be able to come back…

What are the Human Rights Implications of Quarantine Orders?

March 19, 2020
Public officials must ensure that the quarantined have adequate living conditions and the effective right…

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Quarantine Law

March 12, 2020
This post discusses the civil liberties implications of the coronavirus quarantines taking place in 2020…

Protecting Your Civil Liberties During a Pandemic

Help us fund 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.