New citizenship law will be challenged on constitutional grounds, if passed, say rights groups CARL and BCCLA,

New citizenship law will be challenged on constitutional grounds, if passed, say rights groups


TORONTO (June 19, 2014) – The Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL), supported by the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), announced today that it plans to launch a legal challenge to the proposed new citizenship amendments – Bill C-24 – if the bill is passed by the Senate.

Bill C-24, introducing sweeping changes to Canada’s citizenship laws that make citizenship harder to get and easier to lose, has passed through the House of Commons and is now being considered by the Senate. CARL, BCCLA and Amnesty International take the position that this proposed law has dramatically negative effects on Canadian citizenship, eliminating equal citizenship rights for all, and violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as international human rights. According to the organizations, the new law will take away rights from countless Canadians, creating a two-tier citizenship regime that discriminates against dual nationals and naturalized citizens.

“This proposed law would allow certain Canadians to be stripped of citizenship that was validly obtained by birth or by naturalization. We think that is unconstitutional, and we intend to challenge this law if it is passed,” said Lorne Waldman, President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers. “We have presented our arguments to the House of Commons and to the Senate, in an attempt to get them to change or stop this Bill. But the government hasn’t listened, it refuses to amend the bill, and we feel we will have little choice but to challenge it in the courts.”

Over 41,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org asking for the bill to be stopped. The petition was jointly launched by CARL and BCCLA, and was delivered to the citizenship minister earlier in June.

“The ‘Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act’ does exactly the opposite of what the title proclaims. It makes citizenship less secure,” said Josh Paterson, Executive Director of the BC Civil Liberties Association. “In Canada, lawfully-obtained citizenship has always been permanent – once a Canadian, always a Canadian – and all Canadians have always had equal citizenship rights. This bill turns the whole idea of being Canadian upside-down, so that the Canadian citizenship of some people will be worth less than the Canadian citizenship of others. That is wrong, and it must be challenged.” While the BCCLA was not prepared to announce litigation today, it did not rule out joining in litigation with CARL on this issue as the case goes forward.

Last week, Amnesty International released its own legal analysis of Bill C-24, concluding that the new law fails to live up to Canada’s international human rights obligations to guarantee non-discrimination and to ensure fair hearings for the determination of such a critical status as citizenship. Amnesty International is not a part of the proposed litigation.

Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking branch, added: “A government decision to revoke citizenship could negatively affect a person’s life, liberty or security. Such a decision must only take place in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice, and this bill’s citizenship revocation provisions completely fail to meet this standard,” said Alex Neve, Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada, English speaking branch. “The revocation provisions also put Canadians at risk of discrimination based on their dual nationality, or their family origin. The bill cuts against Canada’s duty not to discriminate and to protect people from discrimination. Amnesty International calls for the revocation provisions to be withdrawn from the bill.”

Read the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers’ Backgrounder on Bill C-24 in English,French, Spanish, Farsi, Urdu, Hindi, Arabic, Chinese – traditional, Chinese – simplified and Filipino.

Read the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers’ submission to the House of Commons and Senate committees considering bill C-24.

Read Amnesty International’s brief on concerns regarding Bill C-24.

View the petition on Change.org/secondclasscitizens

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court of Canada's decision in R. v. Spencer

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court of Canada's decision in R. v. Spencer
OTTAWA, June 13, 2014 – Statement from Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien:

“Our Office welcomes this seminal decision for privacy protection in Canada. In its decision today, the Supreme Court of Canada recognized that anonymity on the internet is a critical component of informational privacy.

The Court ruled that there is indeed a reasonable expectation of privacy in subscriber information. The Court agreed that this information could, in many cases, be the key to unlocking sensitive details about a user’s online activities and is therefore worthy of constitutional protection.

The decision has important implications for Bill C-13, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act, the Competition Act and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act.

In particular, it confirms that an immunity clause that protects a person who voluntarily discloses personal information to police does not in itself constitute any ‘lawful authority’ for the state to obtain that information under Canada’s federal private sector privacy legislation, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

We would encourage Parliamentarians to carefully consider the implications of this ruling as they deliberate on Bill C-13 as well as Bill S-4, the Digital Privacy Act.”

For further information:

Factum of the Intervener, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: In the matter of Matthew David Spencer and her Majesty the Queen

Dear Kitten BuzzFeedVideo

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Julius Grey the federal NDP's new lawyer.

Julius Grey





Julius H. Grey (born 1948) is a Canadian lawyer and university professor. He is particularly known for his expertise in constitutional and human rights law.

Born in Wrocław, Poland, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1971, aBachelor of Civil Law degree in 1971, and a Master of Arts degree in 1973 fromMcGill University. Grey has been a member of the Quebec Bar and the Canadian Bar Association since 1974. Since 1976 he has been involved in numerous associations such as the Canadian Foundation for Individual Rights, serving as its president from 1985 to 1988. He was a professor of law at McGill University from 1979 until 1993.[citation needed]

Grey assisted in annulling a stipulation in the Charte de la langue française (Bill 101) that forbade the application of different languages on business signboards. Presently, French must merely be the predominant language, but others are allowed.[1]

Grey supported La servante écarlate by Margaret Atwood, the French version ofThe Handmaid's Tale, in the French version of Canada Reads, broadcast onRadio-Canada in 2004.

Grey defended the periodical La Presse Chinoise against a defamation lawsuit filed by Falun Gong. In 2005, the Superior Court of Quebec ruled that the articles published by the newspaper did not qualify as defamation. However, a subsequent ruling by the Quebec Court of Appeal in June 2008 reversed the lower court's ruling.[2]

Grey has publicly supported the New Democratic Party and Québec Solidaire. He was rumoured to be a future star candidate for the party in Montreal, following that party's successful capture of Outremont in a by-election byThomas Mulcair on September 17, 2007;[3] however, he did not run in the 2008 or 2011 general elections. He is considering running in the next Canadian federal election.[4]
References
External links

of McGill University’s Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre, brought together 800 guests and raised $2.5 million to support the Centre

Goodman Cancer Research Gala raises $2.5 million for McGill

Live 2014

Fundraising event raises awareness and vital support for pioneering research at the Goodman Cancer Research Centre




The 3rd Goodman Cancer Research Gala, held on Sunday, June 1 in support of McGill University’s Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre, brought together 800 guests and raised $2.5 million to support the Centre and the groundbreaking efforts of its scientists to unravel the mysteries of cancer and translate discoveries into better patient care.

Specifically, the funds raised at the Gala will be directed to innovative research projects, the strategic recruitment of new scientists, investments in specialized equipment and core facilities, and fellowships that will help train the Centre’s next generation of scientists.

“Today’s cancer researchers need a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment in which to collaborate. Generous support allows McGill investigators to carry out crucial work in the global battle against cancer,” said Prof. Suzanne Fortier, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University. “I extend my gratitude to the McGill and Montreal communities, and I particularly thank Rosalind and Morris Goodman, who remain tireless advocates for the Centre’s activities and serve as the driving force behind fundraising initiatives such as this Gala.”

The biennial Goodman Cancer Research Gala, first held in 2010, is the brainchild of Rosalind Goodman, a McGill graduate and cancer survivor, and her husband Morris, who together made a transformative gift to McGill’s Faculty of Medicine in 2008 to reenergize research at the McGill Cancer Centre, which was originally founded in 1978. In recognition of the Goodmans’ support, the Centre was renamed in their honour.

“The Gala is always a great party, but more importantly, it is an opportunity to celebrate the exciting work going on at the Centre,” said Rosalind Goodman. “Here at McGill, we have some of the best brains in Canada working to find a cure for cancer, and this evening was really in honour of them and their dedication.”

Among the researchers whose work was celebrated at this year’s Gala was Dr. Nahum Sonenberg, winner of the 2014 Wolf Prize for Medicine. Dr. Sonenberg was unable to attend the Gala, as he was in Jerusalem the very same evening to receive the Wolf Prize, which is widely regarded as a precursor to the Nobel Prize. In the 35 years that the Wolf Foundation has granted the awards, about one in three laureates in the fields of chemistry, physics and medicine has gone on to receive the Nobel.

Sonenberg is globally recognized for his landmark discovery of important mechanisms that control the synthesis of proteins in normal and diseased human cells. These discoveries have completely reshaped how the scientific community views the control of protein translation, and have had a significant impact on the development of innovative gene therapy approaches and novel drug targets for a diverse range of diseases including cancer, obesity, memory impairment and virus infections.

About the Rosalind and Morris Cancer Research Centre

The Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre conducts and coordinates internationally renowned independent basic cancer research programs at McGill University and its affiliated hospitals. The Centre is home to 25 Principal Investigators, most of whom have connections into local hospitals, and about 300 researchers, post-doctoral fellows, PhD students and support staff. The Centre focuses its activities and innovations on programs that fast-track fundamental research, on training students, post-doctoral fellows and professionals, and on promoting cancer information to the general public.

ONTARIO LIBERAL PARTY SEEMS CHARTED FOR WIN EKOS

Modest Listing in Wynne’s Ship Seems to Have Corrected



ONTARIO LIBERAL PARTY SEEMS CHARTED FOR WIN
[Ottawa – June 5, 2014] – There is still a week to go in the campaign and the dynamics of turnout are very much uncertain. There are, however, some clear conclusions evident from charting the rhythms of the campaign and the situation post-debate. Barring some frankly unlikely shift in the campaign dynamics, Wynne appears to be on her way to victory, with an excellent shot at a majority. The only critical obstacle at this stage is turnout. Given the contradictory polling out there and the modest nature of the lead (five points), some might… [More...]

June 5th, 2014 | Category: Ontario, Provincial Results | Leave a comment

Liberals Maintain Advantage, but Race Far From Decided as Lead Narrows



[Ottawa – June 4, 2014] – The Ontario race is still up in the air but Wynne continues to hold the upper hand. Factoring in last night’s 515 cases into our rolling poll we see a narrowed lead for Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal party. At 36.4 points, hold a 5-point advantage over their Progressive Conservative rivals. The NDP remains in third place at 19.3 points.



It would be a mistake to attribute this tightening to the debate performance at this time, although… [More...]

C-279 An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity)

C-279
An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity)
SponsorRandall Garrison (Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca)
Last Stage Completed
Second Reading in the Senate (2014-06-05)
Progress:



BILL C-279


SUMMARY