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Democratic Rights

Fighting to Protect our Democratic Systems

Protecting Democratic Rights

Participating in a democracy in a meaningful way can take many different forms. The right to vote, to campaign, and to seek elected office are some of the rights that are crucial to protecting our democratic system. CCLA stands up for these rights in court and before lawmakers when they are threatened and advocates for their preservation and expansion.

Learn More About Our Work On Democratic Rights

Our Work Protecting Democratic Rights

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CCLA intervenes on parliamentary privilege and democracy

CCLA is intervening in a motion on Parliamentary privilege and when courts may review decisions…
February 22, 2024

Freedom of Expression, the Right to Protest, and Academic Freedom in a Time of Crisis

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) recognizes that in times of crisis, it is all…
November 11, 2023

CCLA Fighting for Transparency and Openness before the Supreme Court

The CCLA is intervening at the Supreme Court of Canada in Ontario v. Information and…
April 12, 2023

CCLA Reacts to Working Families Decision

OTTAWA — Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), reacted to…
March 6, 2023

CCLA Reaction to Public Order Emergency Commission

February 17, 2023 Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association…
February 17, 2023

CCLA Notches Legal Victory Against Government in Emergencies Act Case

February 14, 2023 Toronto, ON — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is announcing a…
February 14, 2023

CCLA Closing Statement at Public Order Emergency Commission

OTTAWA — Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), made the…
November 25, 2022

CCLA reacts to Prime Minister Trudeau’s testimony at POEC

OTTAWA — Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), made the…
November 25, 2022

CCLA reacts to Minister Freeland’s testimony at POEC

OTTAWA — Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), made the…
November 24, 2022

CCLA reacts to Minister Lametti’s testimony at POEC

OTTAWA — Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA),…
November 23, 2022

CCLA reacts to Minister Mendicino’s testimony at POEC

OTTAWA — Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), made the…
November 22, 2022

CCLA Reacts to CSIS’ Testimony at POEC

OTTAWA — Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), made the…
November 21, 2022

Emergency is Not in the Eye of the Beholder

OTTAWA — Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA),…
November 18, 2022

Statement on the Repeal of Bill 28

TORONTO — Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, Executive Director and General Counsel of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, made…
November 14, 2022

Repeal of Bill 28 – Huge Victory for all Who Fought for Rights and Freedoms in Ontario

TORONTO — Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, Executive Director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, made the…
November 7, 2022

Statement on Federal Court decision re: Ontario Premier/Deputy Premier summons to appear before Public Order Emergency Commission

The Federal Court’s decision confirms that the Public Order Emergency Commission had the legal authority…
November 7, 2022

Statement on the Passage of Bill 28

TORONTO — Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, Executive Director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, made the…
November 3, 2022

Canadian Civil Liberties Association Press Conference on Premier Ford Use of Notwithstanding Clause Re: Bill 28

Watch this morning's press conference from Queens Park.
November 3, 2022

Statement on Notwithstanding Clause

OTTAWA — Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, Executive Director of the  Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), made the following…
October 31, 2022

Statement on CCLA vs Nova Scotia (Attorney General)

OTTAWA — Cara Zwibel, Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA),…
October 26, 2022

Statement on Ford Seeking Judicial Review

OTTAWA — Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), made the…
October 24, 2022

Premier Ford Must Testify

OTTAWA — Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), made the…
October 20, 2022

Statement on Public Order Emergency Commission Proceedings of October 17-18

OTTAWA — Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), made the…
October 18, 2022

Statement on Public Order Emergency Commission Proceedings of October 14

OTTAWA — Cara Zwibel, Director of Fundamental Freedoms for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA),…
October 14, 2022

Rouleau Warns of Tight Timelines, But Government Took Maximum Amount of Time to Appoint Commissioner

OTTAWA — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) made its opening statement at the Public Order Emergency…
October 13, 2022

Government Had Other Options Than The Emergencies Act

OTTAWA — The Government of Canada had options other than the emergencies act, the Canadian…
October 12, 2022

Federal Court Releases Decision on Cabinet Confidences Motion

Abby Deshman, Director of the Criminal Justice program for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, made…
September 1, 2022

CCLA in Federal Court, Fighting to Hold Government Accountable for Unprecedented Emergencies Act Use

CCLA is in federal court today to protect meaningful judicial review of government action.  The…
August 8, 2022

CCLA Intervening at Ontario Court of Appeal on Importance of Political Expression and the Right to Vote

The CCLA continues to work to ensure that governments do not overreach in exercising their…
June 14, 2022

CCLA Reaction to the Revocation of the Declaration of Emergency

We welcome the government’s decision to revoke the proclamation of emergency – it is overdue.…
February 23, 2022

CCLA Reaction to Vote in the House

Abby Deshman, Director of Criminal Justice for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association made the following…
February 22, 2022

CCLA Will Fight Invocation of Emergencies Act in Court

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) announced today that it will pursue litigation to challenge…
February 17, 2022

Remarks From the Emergencies Act Press Release of February 2022

This week, the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act – an extreme law that has…
February 17, 2022

CCLA Statement on the Emergencies Act

The Emergencies Act can only be invoked, according to its own terms, when a situation…
February 15, 2022

CCLA disappointed to see Ontario election ad restrictions upheld

On December 3, 2021, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice upheld the constitutionality of recent…
December 8, 2021

CCLA makes its case against Ontario’s third party advertising restrictions

On November 22, 2021, the Ontario Superior Court will hear arguments in the Working Families…
November 18, 2021

CCLA Calls on Elections Ontario to Disclose All MPP Complaints

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is calling on Elections Ontario to disclose how many…
October 25, 2021

SCC on Freedom of Expression – Accentuating the Negative

The Supreme Court of Canada rendered a decision in an important freedom of expression case…
October 5, 2021

CCLA Joins Fight Against Ontario’s Use of the Notwithstanding Clause

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has been granted permission to intervene in a case in…
September 20, 2021

CCLA Makes Submissions to the Federal Review of the Access to Information Act

The CCLA believes that a strong access to information regime is crucial to a vibrant…
August 23, 2021

‘Cease And Desist’ – Liberal Party Must Halt Use Of Facial Fingerprinting

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is calling on the Liberal Party of Canada to…
June 23, 2021

CCLA Will Seek Leave To Intervene

CCLA will be seeking to intervene in Working Families’ new challenge to the third party…
June 22, 2021

3rd Party Voices in 2018 Ontario Election

After the Ontario Superior Court struck down limitations on 3rd party election spending as unconstitutional,…
June 11, 2021

CCLA Statement on Ford’s Extraordinary Use of the Notwithstanding Clause

The notwithstanding clause was designed to be a democratic safety valve, not a brazen power…
June 9, 2021

Ontario Superior Court Strikes Down Third Party Spending Limits

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is celebrating another decisive win in Ontario Superior Court.…
June 8, 2021

Know Your Rights for Ontarians

Knowing your rights is an important tool to help you recognize when your rights have…
April 23, 2021

Submissions Before Ontario Standing Committee on The Legislative Assembly re: Bill 254

When the Attorney General introduced these changes in the Assembly he framed them as putting…
March 30, 2021

Premier Legault—It’s Time To Drop The Curfew

The CCLA is speaking out against Premier Legault’s unjust Quebec curfew.
March 23, 2021

CCLA Before Supreme Court on Free Expression and Democracy

On Tuesday, March 16, lawyers for the CCLA will be appearing before the Supreme Court…
March 15, 2021

Proposed Election Finance Changes are Bad for Democracy

Beware Canadian governments bearing legal gifts promising better democracy in 2021. Canada, and Ontario in…
March 10, 2021

CCLA Says Governing by Press Release, Not by Law, is COVID Governance by Stealth

In a letter dated October 14, we wrote to the Attorney General of Ontario over…
October 14, 2020

Statement to Select Special Public Health Act Review Committee, Legislative Assembly of Alberta

Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national, independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to furthering…
August 27, 2020

Bill 195: Ontario’s Power Grab

The Ontario government is trying to end the legal state of emergency and simultaneously hold…
July 20, 2020

CCLA to Ontario MPPs: Resist the Premier’s Undemocratic Power Grab

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…
July 10, 2020

Alberta’s Bill 1: Suppression of Freedom of Expression

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…
July 8, 2020

How Long Can We Live in a State of Emergency?

Some provinces and territories took longer than others to declare a legal emergency, begging the…
June 19, 2020

A Crisis is a Terrible Time to Legislate

There are two kinds of emergency management legislation: those legislated after a crisis is over,…
May 27, 2020

Children and Parents Belong Together, Especially During a Pandemic

It has come to our attention that many Children’s Aid Societies have effectively cancelled all…
April 24, 2020

The Albertan Government Covers its Tracks and Grabs Power in Bill 10

The Albertan government has capitalised on the confusion of the coronavirus crisis to cover up past mistakes and to grant…
April 14, 2020

CCLA to Federal Attorney General and Federal Governor General

I am writing about the failure of Canada to disclose its Governor in Council orders…
March 26, 2020

Emergency Powers and Transparency

For civil libertarians, invoking emergency legislation is usually considered no-no. As a civil rights watchdog…
March 25, 2020

Balancing Public Health with the Rights of Canadians

CCLA speaks to various media outlets across the country to discuss the importance of upholding…
March 19, 2020

A Chilly Climate for Free Speech This Election Season

An election is a time when we should be encouraging debate and discussion from all…
August 20, 2019

CCLA to Ottawa: Call an SCC Reference

Of the many tools at the disposal of a government in times of profound uncertainty,…
February 23, 2019

A Victory For Democratic Rights At The Supreme Court

Today, the Supreme Court of Canada has released its long awaited decision in Frank v Canada, striking provisions…
January 11, 2019

Federal Government’s Election Reforms Fall Short

Yesterday, the government passed sweeping new legislation that will govern the 2019 federal election. Many…
December 11, 2018

Contact Your MPP to Stop the Misuse of the Notwithstanding Clause

Urge your MPP to vote against the Ontario government’s proposed usage of the notwithstanding clause.
September 12, 2018

CCLA Highlights Concerns With Bill C-76: Elections Modernization Act

CCLA’s Director of Fundamental Freedoms Cara Zwibel appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee…
June 8, 2018

CCLA Fights to Protect The Right to Vote

Today, CCLA is appearing before the Supreme Court in Frank v Canada to defend the…
March 21, 2018
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