Civil Liberties Complaints and Inquiries
The BC Civil Liberties Association receives well over 2,000 calls each year from members of the public who request assistance. Given our limited resources, we are able to accept only a small percentage of these as cases.
Although the Association does provide services to complainants, we often refer people to other organizations. For information about organizations that may be able to answer your questions, consult The Red Book, a directory of Vancouver area services and organizations.
If you would like to inquire about assistance regarding a civil liberties issue or are unsure if your question or concern is a civil liberties issue, contact Jesse Lobdell by email, providing a brief description of the issue. Jesse can also be reached at 604.630.9754.
Correspondence can also be mailed to:
Jesse Lobdell
BC Civil Liberties Association
550 - 1188 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 4A2
Please note that all interviews are by appointment only.
PRIVACY
The BCCLA website hosts the most comprehensive material on privacy issues in Canada. "Privacy" covers a lot more than the word suggests. Below are links to sections of Privacy and immediately following these links you will find links to sample topics.
- 1 Laws Protecting Privacy
- 2 Individual Rights Under Privacy Laws
- 3 Threats to Privacy and Resulting Harm
- 4 Consumer Privacy
- 5 Privacy in Employment
- 6 Privacy and Governments in Canada
- 7 Privacy, Law Enforcement and Anti-Terrorism Measures
- 8 Privacy of Personal Health Information
Privacy in Employment
Mandatory drug testing
Video surveillance
Computer monitoring
Privacy &
Health
Information
Right to access health records
Confidentiality of medical records
How to opt out of e-Health
Privacy and Government
No-fly lists
Border patrols
U.S. Customs
Privacy and Law Enforcement
DNA
School searches
Tests for impairment
Legal Aid
Legal Information
- The Electronic Law Library
- UBC Law Students' Legal Advice Program Manual
- British Columbia Superior Courts
- Federal Court of Canada
- Legal Services Society Free Publications
- Vancouver Bar Association
Lawyer Referral
Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP
An independent body,
not part of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The mandate of the Commission is
set out in the RCMP Act. Its main activities are: receiving complaints from the public,
reviewing the RCMP disposition of complaints when asked by a complainant to do so, and
conducting investigations and hearings.
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner of B.C. investigates complaints against municipal (non-RCMP) police forces.
The Office of the Ombudsman
receives inquiries and complaints about the practices and services
provided by provincial public bodies. The Ombudsman can investigate to determine if the
public body is being fair to the people it serves.
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
The provinciahears complaints about
the use of information by provincial government agencies.
Privacy Commissioner of Canada
is a specialist ombudsman, appointed by and
accountable to Parliament, who monitors the federal government's collection, use and disclosure of its clients and employees' personal information and its handling of
individuals' requests to see their records.
Links of Interest
- Civil Liberties Australia
- Canadian Civil Liberties Association
- Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre
- American Civil Liberties Union
- Civil Rights History and Information
- BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Assoc. (FIPA)
- B.C. Skeptics
- Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network
- Electronic Frontier Canada
- Electronic Frontier Foundation
- Institute of Practical Philosophy (Malaspina College)
- Liberty (National Council for Civil Liberties, UK)
- Council of Canadians
Censorship in Canada
- Banned Books On-line
- Chronicle of Freedom of Expression in Canada
- Freedom to Read Week Canada
- The Nizkor Project
Information About Human Rights
- Canadian Human Rights Commission
- Human Rights Internet
- Human Rights Research and Education Centre
- United Nations Association in Canada
Other
