The BCCLA was granted leave to intervene in a lawsuit launched by Canwest MediaWorks over an alleged trademark infringement based on a mock edition of the Vancouver Sun. The publication parodied the layout of the Vancouver Sun while mocking the … Read More
Legal Cases
These pages list the legal documents for the cases.
The Braidwood hearing and study commission was a public inquiry into the death of Robert Dziekanski. Mr. Dziekanski died after being tasered five times by an RCMP constable at the Vancouver International Airport in 2007. At the inquiry, which included … Read More
The BCCLA appeared as an intervener before the Supreme Court of Canada in three companion cases concerning the Charter rights of the accused to speak with a lawyer. Of the many protections afforded by the Charter, those triggered by an … Read More
These cases concerned whether compensatory damages can be awarded for a violation of rights guaranteed in the Charter. The appeals stem from a case brought by an individual, Mr. Cameron Ward, who sought declarations that his rights under the Charter … Read More
This case challenged the City of Victoria’s bylaws that prevented homeless individuals from erecting shelters to protect themselves from the elements when sleeping outside. The BCCLA argued that telling homeless people who have nowhere else to go that they can … Read More
The question raised by this appeal was whether government entities have the right to control the content of the expression that took place on the side of buses. The BCCLA argued that refusing to allow the appellants to advertise on … Read More
During a debate over a controversial development in Powell River, B.C. three citizens publicly criticized the City’s decision making process. The City sent letters to the citizens threatening that the City would sue and demanding apologies and retractions in return … Read More
This case concerns the Charter right to freedom of the press, especially the ability of the media to protect the confidentiality of sources. The National Post received a document from a confidential source, but there were allegations that the document … Read More
This case involves a constitutional challenge to the Criminal Code provisions making adult prostitution illegal. A trial was set for February 2009, but the BC Supreme Court determined that the plaintiffs did not have standing to bring the claim. SWUAV … Read More
The Safety Standards Amendments Act, passed in 2006, requires electricity companies to give municipalities information about residents with certain patterns of power consumption, who can then notify police and dispatch “safety officers” to inspect the residence. This civil suit was … Read More