British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
| Formation | 1962 |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-government organization |
| Headquarters | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
Membership | over 1000 members |
Official language | English |
President | Rob Holmes |
| Website | http://www.bccla.org/ |
The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association or BCCLA is a non-government organization in British Columbia, Canada dedicated to the preservation, maintenance and extension of civil liberties and human rights in Canada.
Founded in 1962, the BCCLA is the oldest civil liberties organization in Canada. It is based in Vancouver and is jointly funded by the Law Foundation of British Columbia and by private citizens through membership.
The BCCLA has developed over 200 policy briefs, which serve as the principled cornerstones for the association's work. The BCCLA meets with government and private sector officials to persuade them to change laws or policies which infringe on civil liberties and to develop new laws and policies which protect fundamental rights and freedoms. If the association's efforts are unsuccessful, the association is sometimes able to go to court, either by arranging for pro bono counsel for clients, by intervening in legal cases or by litigating the issue.
The BCCLA publishes and distributes free publications such as the Arrest Handbook (English, Spanish, Arabic and Vietnamese), The Citizenship Handbook (English, Punjabi and Vietnamese) and Rights Talk (English), a guide for high school students. The association also publishes pamphlets which provide information on drug testing in the workplace and assists those who would like to make a police complaint. The Association also provides assistance to those who think they might have a civil liberties issue that needs resolution.
The association organizes forums on topics such as racial profiling, legalization of cannabis and death in custody. It also organizes speaking events with speakers such as Eddie Greenspan, Beverley McLachlin, Michael Ignatieff, John Ralston Saul and Maher Arar.
The BCCLA publishes a newsletter twice a year, (The Democratic Commitment) as well as an annual report. It also presents an annual Reg Robson Award, named in memory of the organization's longtime president, to honour people who have been active on civil liberties issues. Past recipients of the award have included Janine Fuller, Peter and Murray Corren, Tara Singh Hayer, Kim Bolan, Philip Owen, Joseph Arvay, Monia Mazigh and Maher Arar, William Kuebler and Stewart Phillip.
Its current executive director is Joshua Paterson, a Vancouver-based lawyer. David Eby was executive director from 2008 until 2012.
Litigation
Supreme Court of Canada
The BCCLA has |intervened in the following cases before the Supreme Court of Canada:
- Reference re Provincial Electoral Boundaries (Sask.), [1991] 2 S.C.R. 158
- R. v. Butler, [1992] 1 S.C.R. 452
- R. v. Cuerrier, [1998] 2 S.C.R. 371
- Little Sisters Book and Art Emporium v. Canada (Minister of Justice), [2000] 2 S.C.R. 1120, 2000 SCC 69
- R. v. Sharpe, [2001] 1 S.C.R. 45, 2001 SCC 2
- Trinity Western University v. British Columbia College of Teachers, [2001] 1 S.C.R. 772, 2001 SCC 31
- R. v. O.N.E., [2001] 3 S.C.R. 478
- Babcock v. Canada (Attorney General), [2002] 3 S.C.R. 3, 2002 SCC 57
- Sauvé v. Canada (Chief Electoral Officer), [2002] 3 S.C.R. 519
- Chamberlain v. Surrey School District No. 36, [2002] 4 S.C.R. 710, 2002 SCC 86
- R. v. Malmo-Levine; R. v. Caine, [2003] 3 S.C.R. 571, 2003 SCC 74
- Reference re Same-Sex Marriage, [2004] 3 S.C.R. 698, 2004 SCC 79
- May v. Ferndale Institution, [2005] 3 S.C.R. 809, 2005 SCC 82
- Canada (Justice) v. Khadr, 2008 SCC 28
- WIC Radio Ltd. v. Simpson, 2008 SCC 40
British Columbia Court of Appeal
The BCCLA has intervened in the following cases before the B.C. Court of Appeal:
- R. v. Small, [1973] 4 W.W.R. 563
- Hoogbruin v. Attorney General of British Columbia, [1986] 2 W.W.R. 700
- Shewchuk v. Ricard, [1986] 28 D.L.R. (4th) 429
- Kempling v. The British Columbia College of Teachers, [2005] BCCA 327
Supreme Court of British Columbia
The BCCLA has intervened in the following cases before the Supreme Court of B.C.:
- Dybikowski v. Attorney General of British Columbia, [1979] 2 W.W.R. 631
- British Columbia Civil Liberties Association v. Attorney General of British Columbia, [1988] 4 W.W.R. 100
- Dixon v. Attorney General of British Columbia, [1989] 3 BCLR (2d) 231
- Russow and Lambert v. Attorney General of British Columbia, [1989] 4 W.W.R. 186
- Austin v. Personnel Services Branch, Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Recreation and Culture et al., [1990] 66 D.L.R. (4th) 33
- Dr. Dutton v. British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal et al., 2001 BCSC 1256
- City of Vancouver v. Maurice et al., 2002 BCSC 1421
- Canadian Federation of Students - British Columbia Component et al. v. Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority et al., 2006 BCSC 455
- Barker v. Hayes, 2006 BCSC 1217
- Canada (AG) v PHS Community Services Society, 2008 BCSC 661
- Victoria (City) v. Adams, 2008 BCSC 1363
- Arkinstall v. City of Surrey, 2008 BCSC 1419
British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal
The BCCLA has intervened in the following cases before the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal:
- Canadian Jewish Congress v. Doug Collins and the North Shore News, [1997] 23
- Elmasry and Habîb v. Roger's Publishing and MacQueen (No. 4), 2008 BCHRT 378
Federal Court of Canada
The BCCLA has intervened in the following cases before the Federal Court of Canada – Trial Division:
- British Columbia Civil Liberties Association v. Attorney General of Canada, [2000] DES-5-99
Publications
Periodicals
- The Democratic Commitment, a semi-annual newsletter, published every July and November
- Civil Liberties Update, an email newsletter issued every 1–2 months
Books
- (2003) The Arrest Handbook: A Guide to Your Rights
- (2003) The Arrest Pocketbook: A Guide to Your Rights
- (2002) The Teaching and Workshop Guide for ESL Teachers and Settlement Counselors
- (2001) Kiddie Porn: Sexual Representation and the Robin Sharpe Case
- (2001) Rights Talk: Students and Civil Liberties at School
- (1998) The Citizenship Handbook: A Guide to Democratic Rights and Responsibilities for New Canadians
- (1995) Restricted Entry: Censorship on Trial
- (1994) The Privacy Handbook: A Practical Guide to Your Privacy Rights and How to Protect Them
- (1994) Protecting Rights and Freedoms: Essays on the Charter's Place in Canada's Political, Legal and Intellectual Life
- (1992) Proceedings of the 1992 conference: The Charter: Ten Years After
- (1990) Catastrophic Rights: Experimental Drugs and AIDS
- (1989) The Burden of Office: Agamemnon and Other Losers
- (1989) Liberties
Brochures
- The Facts About Drug Testing in the Workplace
- Suggestions for Writing a Letter of Complaint to the Police