BC Civil Liberties Association
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BC Civil Liberties Association
@bccla.bsky.social
1.4K followers 300 following 180 posts
Equality. Liberty. Freedom. Justice. Fighting for civil liberties and human rights since 1962 through Litigation, Law Reform & Public Legal Education.

bccla.org/donate
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bccla.bsky.social
Smith’s brazen use of the notwithstanding clause should raise alarm not only for workers but for everyone in Canada. Charter rights are OURS to protect.

Sign BCCLA’s People’s Pledge: ow.ly/fJaQ50XjYTC
October 29, 2025 at 7:26 PM
bccla.bsky.social
After a BCCLA complaint, RCMP admits Fairy Creek exclusion zone “was beyond the scope of [their] authority”. Yet the controversial unit CRU-BC are still lined up to protect "fast tracked" infrastructure projects & suppress Indigenous resistance

Read more: ow.ly/4QVg50XenGG
RCMP admits to BCCLA: Fairy Creek exclusion zone “was beyond the scope of [their] authority” "When I was at camp with Indigenous land defenders, I heard stories about people being stopped by the RCMP. So, when I encountered the RCMP checkpoint for myself I felt compelled to confront the officers and challenge the exclusion zone, as I was sure they did not have the legal authority to block access to the road or the area based on the terms of the injunction order." - Veronica Martisius, BCCLA Staff Counsel
October 17, 2025 at 8:35 PM
bccla.bsky.social
Canada’s Civil Liberties Organizations - @bccla.bsky.social , @cancivlib.bsky.social and @liguedesdroits.bsky.social - have come together to take a stand against the Alberta government's proposed use of the notwithstanding clause to attack trans rights.

Read our Full Letter Today: bit.ly/46MAtDi
October 9, 2025 at 5:41 PM
bccla.bsky.social
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith plans to use the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to pass not one, not two, but three bills to override the rights of Albertans.

Take 2 mins to tell her: our rights are off limits!

Alberta: bit.ly/46EVnCM
Outside Alberta: bit.ly/48whr55
September 25, 2025 at 6:14 PM
bccla.bsky.social
BCCLA condemns the Liberal government’s unfounded, biased, and authoritarian decision to bar Irish-language rap group @kneecapceol.bsky.social from Canada, preventing them from performing their October shows.

Email your MP and tell them to Reverse Kneecap's Travel Ban! bit.ly/ReverseKneec...
September 19, 2025 at 9:26 PM
bccla.bsky.social
Canadian governments have started using the notwithstanding clause as if it’s a hall pass to violate our rights without any accountability. We’re not(with)standing for this! Charter rights are ours to protect. ✏️Sign the People's Pledge: bccla.org/campaign/wer...
September 9, 2025 at 2:32 PM
bccla.bsky.social
A new research paper shows that an inability to access health and social services, as well non-fatal overdose, was a positively tied to street sweeps.

Read the report : www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
September 9, 2025 at 12:55 AM
bccla.bsky.social
Lawyers Against Transphobia are holding a conference this September! The conference will be a national, trans-led gathering for lawyers, organizers, and frontline advocates building justice beyond the courtroom. #LaTConference

Learn More and Register: ow.ly/1gIz50WRp0a
September 4, 2025 at 6:16 PM
bccla.bsky.social
Lowering the voting age to 16, expanding the vote to permanent residents, and allowing for electoral reform without a referendum are all changes BCCLA has said to BCs can make to have a more equitable democratic system.

Read our submission: bccla.org/policy-submi...
[Title] Advancing Voting Rights in BC This month, BCCLA called on the BC government to: Give voting rights to permanent residents. Lower the voting age to 16. Make electoral reform without referenda.
August 21, 2025 at 7:56 PM
bccla.bsky.social
BCCLA stands with striking Air Canada workers.

Read the Air Canada Component of CUPE’s full statement: cupe.ca/liberals-rew...
BCCLA supports striking AIR CANADA workers “As a proudly unionized workplace, BCCLA stands with striking workers and opposes the government’s heavy-handed approach. The right to strike is a core component of freedom of association protected by the Charter. The government’s repeated reliance on Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to order workers to cease strike action undermines these rights, sets a dangerous precedent in collective bargaining, and threatens the dignity and equality of working people. At a time when working people are mobilizing to defend their interests, it is essential to protect - not erode - their civil liberties.” -Hasan Alam, BCCLA President
August 19, 2025 at 1:02 AM
bccla.bsky.social
@pivotlegalsociety.bsky.social and BCCLA have developed a resources that explains how to access police information about yourself through a Freedom of Information (FOI) Request.

View the resource: bccla.org/resource/a-t...
How to Access Police Information about Yourself through a Freedom of Information (FOI) Request This guide is specific to municipal police departments in BC and does not apply to the RCMP. An FOI is a request submitted to a public body asking them to send you any information that they have recorded about a particular topic. You can ask specific police departments for any information they have ever collected about you, even if you haven’t been charged with a crime. What is a Freedom of Information (FOI) request? The police have to give you this information about yourself because: 1. The police are a public body and, 2. Public bodies are legally required to respond to requests from the public for their personal information. The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) entitles you to access and review BC government records, including records that have been collected about you. How to Access Police Information about Yourself through a Freedom of Information (FOI) Request When can I make an FOI request ? You can request your information at any time. The information you receive through an FOI request from the police includes things like: Bodycam footage of you, photos and videos that the police took of you and your belongings, police officer’s written notes about you, which departments your information was shared with (e.g. hate crimes unit, graffiti unit, etc.) How to Access Police Information about Yourself through a Freedom of Information (FOI) Request: In-Person (requires printed copy of FOI request form and your photo ID card) or electronically/Email (requires access to technology to fill out form online and ability to take picture of your ID card) *Note: If you have a limited ability to write in English or a physical disability that interferes with making a written request, you can submit an oral request. Filling an FOI Request and application options: Check out the full guide for templates and help with what to say when filing a request both for specific information requests and broad information requests
May 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM
bccla.bsky.social
Tomorrow is the People's Tribunal which is seeking justice for the police killings of Indigenous Peoples.

Come together on International Day Against Police Brutality to hold space for what community power and justice can look like!
March 15, 2025 at 1:46 AM
bccla.bsky.social
We’re taking the City to court!⚖️Today, BCCLA alongside three individual plaintiffs are filing a lawsuit against the City of Vancouver in a Charter challenge against the ban on sheltering during the day.

Read More: bccla.org/campaign/she...
January 30, 2025 at 3:33 PM
bccla.bsky.social
Today, the Minister of Education is expected to make an announcement about the Greater Victoria School District (GVSD).

Join @PolicingFreeSch at 620 Superior St, Victoria, from 12pm to 1pm in saying NO to SPLOs!

Unable to attend? Take remote Zap Action: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Urgent Action! Say No to SLPOs in SD61 Join us tomorrow at the Ministry of Education Office 620 Superior St, Victoria, BC, 12-1 PM to stand in solidarity with the SD61 School Board an their decision to keep SPLOs out of schools!
January 10, 2025 at 6:15 PM
bccla.bsky.social
At BCCLA, we're working tirelessly to fight against the rollback of precious, hard-won rights that we’re seeing today in Canada. If liberty, equality, justice, and freedom matter to you, please donate to BCCLA this Giving Tuesday: act.bccla.org/givingtuesda...
December 4, 2024 at 12:57 AM
bccla.bsky.social
It's no secret that civil liberties are under attack. BCCLA has spent decades working to safeguard and expand civil liberties and human rights in Canada. We are ready for the fight to protect them, but we need your support. Donate today: act.bccla.org/givingtuesda...
December 3, 2024 at 5:17 PM
bccla.bsky.social
This week, our Litigation Staff Counsel, Ga Grant, spoke to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage regarding Indigenous and Palestinian human rights and the violation of those rights through police surveillance and violence.

Watch the whole video: youtube.com/watch?v=pux0...
November 20, 2024 at 11:22 PM
bccla.bsky.social
BCCLA has always emphasized the importance of choice and agency over bodily autonomy. Individual decisions regarding sexual activity are a decision over one’s body, remuneration or not.
“Sex work must be regarded as part of our fundamental personal autonomy and dignity." Ga Grant, BCCLA Staff Counsel
November 13, 2024 at 9:08 PM
bccla.bsky.social
Today, BCCLA is in court intervening in Kloubakov v R., challenging the constitutionality of provisions in the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (“PCEPA”) that prevent the procuring and material benefitting from sexual services.
Red umbrella on cobblestone street. The street is in black and white.
November 13, 2024 at 9:08 PM
bccla.bsky.social
Bill C-70, the Countering Foreign Interference Act, raises serious civil liberties concerns.
Join Centre for Free Expression on October 1st @ 7 pm to learn more about effectively addressing foreign interference while protecting fundamental rights.
September 23, 2024 at 11:17 PM
bccla.bsky.social
Join the Centre for Free Expression to hear about how Bill C-70 Countering Foreign Interference Act raises serious civil liberties concerns.

Event Details: October 1st @ 7 pm, online
September 10, 2024 at 11:51 PM