| Affiliation with other organizations: |
Three staff members are adjunct professors of law with the University of British Columbia. One staff member is adjunct professor of law with the University of Victoria.
Association is member organization of the Impact of the Olympics on Community Coalition.
Co-litigants with Amnesty International on issues of involving Canadian soldiers and Afghan detainees.
Executive Director is Research Assistant with B.C. Centre for Policy Alternatives, President of Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network.
Four full time staff members are members of the Law Society of British Columbia. |
| Publications: |
Select publications:
Police involved deaths in Canada, in press (Early 2010) (2000 copies)
The Olympic Legal Observer Handbook (2009) (1500 copies)
Closing Ceremonies: How law and policy are displacing an inconveniently located low-income community for the 2010 Olympics, Planning Theory and Practice (UK), 2009 (in press).
Small Claims, Big Issues: How provincial small claims court reform has opened new avenues for police accountability, The Verdict magazine, June 2009.
The Citizenship Handbook - A guide to democratic rights and responsibilities for Canadians 2nd ed (2008) (10,000 copies).
The Arrest Handbook: A guide to your rights (Revised 2008) (15,000 copies).
Making a complaint against the police (brochure) (1500 copies) (2007)
The facts about drug testing in the workplace (brochure) (2000 copies) (2007)
Rights Talk: Students and civil liberties at school (5000 copies) (Revised 2005)
Liberties (3000 copies) (1989) |
| Purpose of the organization: |
The BC Civil Liberties Association was established in 1962 and is the oldest and most active civil liberties group in Canada. We are funded by the Law Foundation of B.C. and by citizens who believe in what we do.
We are a group of citizens who volunteer our energy and talents to fulfill our mandate: to preserve, defend, maintain and extend civil liberties and human rights in British Columbia and across Canada.
Civil liberties are the rights and freedoms that all citizens enjoy in a democratic society. Citizens in a democracy are sovereign and the state is the instrument we use to govern ourselves. Our rights and freedoms flow from our sovereign status, and from the fact that we are subject to the laws we enact to regulate our own behaviour.
In today's democracy, our civil liberties may be threatened not only by the state, but also by powerful private organizations and employers. The BC Civil Liberties Association works to protect citizens from both government and private sector intrusions into our lives.
The BCCLA is an autonomous, non-partisan charitable society. Our independence has been one of the BCCLA's enduring strengths for over 40 years.
When we see civil liberties being threatened or violated, we take action:
AS A WATCHDOG
We are the primary non-government group in BC monitoring the police and other government agencies' response to allegations of misconduct.
AS A LOBBYIST
The BCCLA regularly meets with government officials on issues with civil liberties implications. We are regularly asked to comment on draft policy and legislation, and appear before government commissions.
AS AN EDUCATOR
We publish and distribute a journal and handbooks and briefs on many topics.
AS AN ADVOCATE
When all else fails, the BCCLA stands poised to challenge laws in the courts. Over the years we have attracted the legal talents and marshalled the resources to do this—for example, in the ongoing censorship case of Little Sister's gay and lesbian
bookstore against Canada Customs.
AS A COMMUNITY RESOURCE
We provide direct assistance to individuals who have complaints about civil liberties violations by government, employers or other organizations.
We do all this at no charge to the public. There are three problems we face:
First, not all the rights and freedoms which Canadians expect are actually the law in Canada. For example, we have very few legal rights to privacy and freedom of expression. Our governments still censor books, magazines, films and videos—and now want to censor the Internet.
Second, if our courts are to reach decisions which protect civil rights and freedoms, they must hear the arguments of people like ourselves who believe in true, pluralistic democracy.
Third, and perhaps most important, what our laws say and reality may be very different. For example, women continue to face serious difficulties in getting equal treatment in our legal system. |
| Activities relevant to the conference of States Parties to the convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: |
Litigation and advocacy for rights of the homeless, who in Canada are disproportionately disabled:
http://bccla.org/othercontent/09Victoria_Adams_argument.pdf
http://bccla.org/othercontent/09Brick.pdf
http://bccla.org/othercontent/09mosquito.pdf
http://bccla.org/positions/political/09Right_to_Water.pdf
http://bccla.org/othercontent/09VPD_business_plan.pd
Litigation advocating for people with addictions:
http://bccla.org/othercontent/09PHS.pdf
Litigation on behalf of individuals with alcohol addiction who are homeless:
http://bccla.org/othercontent/Frank_Paul_Final_Submissions.pdf
http://bccla.org/othercontent/09Brick.pdf
Advocacy on behalf of people with mental illness:
http://bccla.org/pressreleases/09Boyd_final.pdf
Advocacy on behalf of the terminally ill:
http://bccla.org/pressreleases/09Exit_International.pdf |
| Confirmation of the activities of the organization at the regional, national or international level: |
Please visit our website at www.bccla.org for further details about our work, along with primary documents. Examples of our work below, with links to primary documents.
Litigation and advocacy for rights of the homeless, who in Canada are disproportionately disabled:
http://bccla.org/othercontent/09Victoria_Adams_argument.pdf
http://bccla.org/othercontent/09Brick.pdf
http://bccla.org/othercontent/09mosquito.pdf
http://bccla.org/positions/political/09Right_to_Water.pdf
http://bccla.org/othercontent/09VPD_business_plan.pd
Litigation advocating for people with addictions:
http://bccla.org/othercontent/09PHS.pdf
Litigation on behalf of individuals with alcohol addiction who are homeless:
http://bccla.org/othercontent/Frank_Paul_Final_Submissions.pdf
http://bccla.org/othercontent/09Brick.pdf
Advocacy on behalf of people with mental illness:
http://bccla.org/pressreleases/09Boyd_final.pdf
Advocacy on behalf of the terminally ill:
http://bccla.org/pressreleases/09Exit_International.pdf |
| A list of members of the governing body of the organization, and their countries of nationality: |
Rob Holmes, President, Canadian
Jason Gratl, Vice-President, Canadian
John Dixon, Secretary, Canadian
Alan Rowan, Treasurer, Canadian
Reem Bahdi, Canadian
Warren Bourgeois, Canadian
Alister Browne, Canadian
Michael Byers, Canadian
Jamie Cameron, Canadian
Larry Cohen, Canadian
Avigail Eisenberg, Canadian
Michael Feld, Canadian
Tom Gore, Canadian
Conrad Hadland, Canadian
Shirley Heafey, Canadian
Jacob Hunter, Canadian
Stephen Katz, Canadian
Ross Lambertson, Canadian
Ed Levy, Canadian
Stan Persky, Canadian
Kent Roach, Canadian
Richard Rosenberg, Canadian
John Russell, Canadian
Tom Sandborn, Canadian
Steven Savitt, Canadian
Kirk Tousaw, Canadian
Megan Vis Dunbar, Canadian
Reg Whitaker, Canadian
Eric Wyness, Canadian |
| Description of the membership of the organization, indicating the total number of members: |
Membership is open to all members of the public. Current members and supporters in excess of 1,200 people, primarily Canadian and British Columbia residents. |
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