It seems the current trend to squelch free speech, and in particular dissenting views, is on the rise in Canada. Whether you are a scientist working to investigate the potential effects of climate change, a church member speaking out for your cause, a charity trying to advance good policy, or simply a citizen wanting to [...]
The federal Bill C-30 (“An Act to enact the Investigating and Preventing Criminal Electronic Communications Act and to amend the Criminal Code and other Acts“), is a significant threat to personal freedoms in Canada. It is especially threatening to freedom of expression and our freedom to be secure from unreasonable search and seizure. The Bill’s [...]
In a case at the Court of Appeal for Ontario, Justice Kevin M.V. Whitaker defined for the first time in Canada a tort related to privacy protection. Although it is far too early to determine the full impact of this decision, and if this decision is indeed precedent setting, it may have implications for future [...]
The following people were elected to the RMCLA’s 2012 Board of Directors: Gillian Steward Kelly Ernst George Blochert Catherine Ford Stephen Randall Janet Keeping Hal Joffee Linda McKay-Panos Dan Shapiro Sharon Polsky Asifa Akbar Ramesh Joshi
Multiculturalism is an inherent feature of Canadian society. Arguably, the contours for multicultural Canada are found in the early days of our country’s history. The pre-eminent political leaders of pre-Confederation Canada, John A. Macdonald and George Etienne Cartier, looked with alarm to the political and social divisions in the United States which brought that country [...]
November 17, 2011 – CALGARY, AB — The Rocky Mountain Civil Liberties Association (RMCLA) urges City of Calgary officials to be patient and continue to deal with Occupy Calgary keeping uppermost in their minds the importance of the rights and freedoms at stake. Freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association are fundamental to our democracy [...]
We are pleased to partner with the Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership to offer the following event. Keep off the grass? Bylaws, protest and public space. Monday, November 28, 2011 12:00 pm to 1:30pm John Dutton Theatre, Calgary Public Library 616 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary, Alberta Cara Zwibel, Director, Fundamental Freedoms Program, Canadian [...]
Starting in mid 2011, several cities across the world experienced the “Occupy Movement”, which is directed primarily at social and economic inequality. In many Canadian cities, “Occupy Canada” protestors set up camps, usually on public land. In some locations, officials have threatened to evict the protestors, citing public safety and health concerns. In others, officials [...]
Calgary, October 19, 2011 – A new RMCLA report makes recommendations for avoiding violence and protecting civil liberties at future large-scale protests. Based on lessons learned, the report is entitled “Nonviolent Dissent in Connection with the 2002 G8 in Calgary and Kananaskis, Alberta.” “We hope that the report offers some useful reflections for protestors, policy-makers, [...]
Some people are surprised to learn that it was not until 1989 that the Supreme Court of Canada recognized that discrimination based on pregnancy was a form of gender or sex discrimination (see: Brooks v Canada Safeway, [1989] 1 SCR 1219). Shortly after, several jurisdictions amended their human rights legislation to indicate that gender discrimination [...]
