Legal Cases

These companion cases deal with the constitutionality of the definition of “terrorist activity” and its operation throughout the terrorism provisions of the Criminal Code. These provisions were enacted shortly after the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, … Read More →

This case involves a Libyan national who was deemed inadmissible to Canada based on his purported affiliation with a group engaged in the overthrow of the Gadaffi regime. He sought an exemption to inadmissibility via an application for ministerial relief. … Read More →

Documents that support Mr. Richard Colvin’s testimony are being made publicly available by the BCCLA and Amnesty International. Mr. Colvin, a senior diplomat who was stationed in Afghanistan, recently testified before a parliamentary committee that Canadian officials at the highest … Read More →

Amnesty International Canada and British Columbia Civil Liberties Association v. Chief of Defence Staff for the Canadian Armed Forces, et al. Synopsis Amnesty International Canada and British Columbia Civil Liberties Association v. Chief of Defence Staff for the Canadian Armed Forces, General … Read More →

Abousfian Abdelrazik is the only Canadian citizen on the UN Security Council 1267 no-fly list. His listing automatically subjects him to domestic Canadian legislation that freezes his assets and leaves him all but unemployable. Yet Mr. Abdelrazik faces no criminal … Read More →

The BCCLA continues its work before the Military Police Complaints Commission as part of the public interest investigation into the handling of detainees by Canadian Forces in Afghanistan. The BCCLA filed complaints with the MPCC in 2007 and 2008 voicing … Read More →

The BCCLA supported Maher Arar’s U.S. civil suit against American officials for their role in his rendition and torture in Syria. We argued that Mr. Arar is entitled to a remedy under U.S. law for the serious human rights violations … Read More →

The BCCLA appeared at the Supreme Court of Canada to argue that the Government of Canada must take steps to seek the repatriation of child soldier and Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr. The Supreme Court ruled that Canada had violated Mr. … Read More →

This decision of the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed that the Charter binds Canadian officials when operating abroad, where Canada would also be acting in contravention of its obligations under international human rights law. The BCCLA intervened in the case … Read More →

In the context of security certificates, this appeal will define the constitutional limits of the power of the government executive and judiciary to rely on secret evidence to the prejudice of interests at the core of a non-citizen’s right to … Read More →