Alex Neve: Bill C-51 The Insecurity of Human Rights

Pushed through Parliament with unprecedented haste, with opportunities for consultation and debate cut off at every turn, Bill C-51 has now become law, the Anti-Terrorism Act 2015. The most comprehensive overhaul of Canadian national security laws since 2001, C-51 is replete with numerous and very serious human rights concerns. Legal experts, human rights organizations, former Prime Ministers and Supreme Court judges, media opinion across the political spectrum and Canadians across the country all spoke out loud and clear, insisting that the Bill needed to be withdrawn or dramatically amended to ensure that human rights were not being sold short in the name of security. The very few minor changes that were made were nothing more than tinkering. This new law remains one of the most deeply flawed pieces of legislation from a human rights perspective passed in Canada in many years. Amnesty International has a long history, in Canada and around the world, of highlighting that human rights violations in the name of national security undermine both human rights and national security. Alex Neve laid out the many ways that is the case with C-51. Concerns he addressed include expressly allowing CSIS agents to contravene the Charter and ignore laws in other countries; expecting Federal Court judges to issue warrants authorizing Charter violations; undermining freedom of expression; staggering levels of information sharing; expanded powers allowing lengthier and easier detention without charge; increased secrecy in security procedures under the Immigration Act; and an unfair no-fly list appeal process. He raised concern about what is missing as well, including continuing failure to establish effective review and oversight of Canadian agencies involved in national security and a refusal to redress past cases of wrongdoing in which Canadians have suffered serious abuses such as torture due to the actions of Canadian security officials. Above all he stressed that it is time to ground Canada’s national security laws and policies in full respect for human rights.BIO:Alex Neve believes in a world in which the human rights of all people are protected. He has been a member of Amnesty International since 1985 and has served as Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada since 2000. Alex is a lawyer, with an LLB from Dalhousie University and a Masters Degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex. He is on the Board of Directors of Partnership Africa Canada, the Canadian Centre for International Justice and the Centre for Law and Democracy. Alex has been named an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Trudeau Foundation Mentor and has received an honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from the University of New Brunswick.