The BCCLA continues to fight against the mass incarceration of Indigenous Peoples by the Canadian criminal legal system, and to follow the guidance of Indigenous scholars, lawyers, and advocates. In October 2022, we brought this fight to Parliament, making submissions … Read More
Features Blog
Canada’s Mass Incarceration of Indigenous Peoples – Part 1
Posted onWhile the BCCLA works towards systemic change in the criminal legal system, Canada’s use of mass incarceration against Indigenous people is a problem that is only worsening. In the past two decades, while the overall number of people … Read More
New Board Vice President Announcement
Posted onThe BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) is pleased to announce the new Vice President of our Board of Directors, Hasan Alam. Hasan is a labour and human rights lawyer at the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU), possessing an extensive background … Read More
Pulling Back the Curtain on Canada’s Mass Surveillance Programs – Part Two: The CSE Secret Spying Archive
Posted onRead Part 1: Pulling Back the Curtain on Canada’s Mass Surveillance Programs – Part One: A Decade of Secret Spy Hearings The BCCLA is sharing over 4,000 never-before-seen pages detailing the Communications Security Establishment’s (CSE) surveillance practices. These documents … Read More
BC Civil Liberties Association Rescinds 2020 Reg Robson Award from Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond
Posted onThe BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) awarded the Reg Robson Award to Dr. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond as part of the 2020 Liberty Awards. The BCCLA’s annual Liberty Awards honour exceptional contributions to the fields of human rights and civil liberties … Read More
A Tribute to Bob Rowan
Posted onThe BCCLA would like to honour the memory of Mr. Robert (Bob) J. Rowan, a founding director of our organization, who recently passed away on 11th December 2022. Bob served on the BCCLA board for many years, including as President … Read More
A Welcome Message from Joanne Macri, BCCLA Executive Director
Posted onI am humbled and honoured to join the BC Civil Liberties Association in its seventh decade. Over its dedicated history, the BCCLA, together with community partners and supporters, has achieved profound and impactful change across a vast range of vital … Read More
Pulling Back the Curtain on Canada’s Mass Surveillance Programs – Part One: A Decade of Secret Spy Hearings
Posted onIntroduction Just under a decade ago, in 2013, the BCCLA filed lawsuits challenging secret spying programs operated by the Communications Security Establishment (“CSE”), the Canadian version of the U.S. National Security Agency (“NSA”). CSE is responsible for collecting intelligence from … Read More
Democratic Commitment Newsletter
The Mass Casualty Commission: Advocating with East Coast Prison Justice Society to Enhance Democratic Policing and Protect Marginalized People and Communities
Posted onIn April 2020, a man impersonating an RCMP officer killed 22 people in various locations in Nova Scotia. The public has been asking questions ever since, wanting to understand whether the state – especially police – could have better … Read More