On October 2, 2014 the OCLA wrote to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne asking her to take action to protect freedom of speech in Ontario. The OCLA’s letter followed media reports of the Premier’s vow to defend freedom of speech in China.
The OCLA’s letter of October 2 is available here.
Premier Wynne’s response, dated December 16, 2014, is available here.
(Ottawa, October 20, 2014) — The OCLA will present its 2014 Civil Liberties Award to Miss Bedford at a public presentation and reception in Ottawa in November.
“I want to be remembered for standing against secret rules”, said Miss Bedford. “My motto is that I’ll fight for my rights whether you like it or not”, she added.
Miss Bedford has fought for the freedom, dignity, and safety of sex workers in Canada. She has joined many prominent Canadians and dedicated activists to this end. She has opposed the unjust laws affecting her profession in court, in the streets, in the Senate, in the press, and in her writings. She has even been to jail under these laws.
Miss Bedford has been an inspiration to those who work to correct society’s moral and legal hypocrisy, and to secure a human right of adult individuals to provide and buy or exchange personal services by informed consent without the state’s interference.
The day in November and venue are to be announced later. Last year’s recipient was Harry Kopyto.
OCLA’s Award page, updated regularly: https://ocla.ca/ocla-civil-liberties-award/
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/349779428525127/
About OCLA
The OCLA vigorously advocates for authentic and unqualified freedom of expression of individuals, on all topics and in every form, in accordance with the right to free expression enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The OCLA also advocates for unimpeded civil liberties and civil rights of all persons, in dealings with public and private institutions and corporations.
Contact:
Joseph Hickey
Executive Director
Ontario Civil Liberties Association (OCLA) https://ocla.ca
613-252-6148 (c)
joseph.hickey@ocla.ca
MISE À JOUR : L’évènement aura lieu le 14 novembre 2014 à 19h00, à l’Auditorium des Anciens de l’Université d’Ottawa (au Centre universitaire)
(Ottawa, le 20 octobre 2014) – L’Association des libertés civiles de l’Ontario (ALCO) décernera son prix annuel à Mlle Bedford lors d’une réception publique à Ottawa en novembre 2014.
« Je veux qu’on se souvienne de moi pour avoir lutté contre des règles secrètes », a dit Mlle Bedford. « Ma devise est que je vais me battre pour mes droits, que les gens aiment ça ou pas. »
Mlle Bedford s’est battue pour la liberté, la dignité et la sécurité des travailleuses et travailleurs du sexe au Canada. À cette fin, elle a travaillé avec plusieurs activistes canadien(ne)s d’importance et dévoué(e)s. Elle s’est opposée aux lois injustes affectant sa profession, tant à la cour, dans les rues, au Sénat du Canada, dans les médias que dans ses écrits. Elle a même été emprisonnée selon ces lois.
Mlle Bedford est une source d’inspiration pour ceux et celles qui travaillent pour corriger l’hypocrisie légale et morale de la société et pour instaurer le droit humain pour les individus adultes de fournir et d’acheter ou d’échanger des services personnels avec consentement éclairé et sans interférence de l’État.
La date et le lieu de l’évènement seront annoncés prochainement. Le récipiendaire du prix de l’ALCO 2013 était M. Harry Kopyto.
Page web du prix de l’ALCO 2014 (le contenu de cette page sera mis à jour régulièrement) : https://ocla.ca/ocla-civil-liberties-award/
Évènement Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/events/349779428525127/
À propos de l’ALCO
L’ALCO préconise une liberté d’expression authentique et sans contrainte sur tous les sujets et sous toute forme, conformément au droit à la liberté d’expression inscrit dans la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés. L’ALCO défend aussi les libertés civiles de toute personne dans ses relations avec les institutions et corporations publiques et privées.
Contact :
Joseph Hickey
Directeur exécutif
Association des libertés civiles de l’Ontario (ALCO) https://ocla.ca
613-252-6148 (c)
joseph.hickey@ocla.ca
OCLA has today posted a public statement in defence of the civil rights of BC resident Arthur Topham, who faces prosecution under the “Hate Propaganda” sections of Canada’s Criminal Code for postings on his self-published website.
Please consider signing a petition launched by OCLA (click here), calling on the BC Attorney General (The Hon. Suzanne Anton) to withdraw her consent to prosecute Mr. Topham.
OCLA’s letter to the BC Attorney General in this matter is available here.
A video interview by Ezra Levant with Topham’s former lawyer, the late Doug Christie, is embedded below:
Updates:
OCLA has written to the president of the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, Kevin Hargreaves, to express concerns regarding freedom of expression at a televised candidates debate leading into the Cornwall, Ontario municipal election.
The letter is posted here.
Dear OCLA Supporter,
This email is to provide you with an update of the Ontario Civil Liberties Association’s (OCLA) work over the spring/summer 2014 season.
Complaint about police union president’s actions to suppress a professor’s speech
On March 31, 2014, OCLA filed a complaint to the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) about the actions of Matt Skof, President of the Ottawa Police Association, towards Carleton University criminology professor Darryl Davies.
Mr. Skof had written a letter to the president of Carleton University protesting Mr. Davies’s criticisms of policing in Ontario and demanding an apology from the professor. He later stated he would cut ties with programs at the university because of Mr. Davies’s expressed views.
Links to media interviews about this important freedom of expression and academic freedom case are included below. The complaint is still in process with the OIPRD.
Interview on Ezra Levant’s show about St. Lewis v. Rancourt defamation trial
On May 20, Ezra Levant interviewed OCLA’s executive director on his TV show about the $1-million defamation lawsuit St. Lewis v. Rancourt, in which the plaintiff’s legal fees are funded entirely by the University of Ottawa.
Mr. Levant’s interview focused on the free speech and use-of-public money aspects of the litigation, and the role of university president Allan Rock in this case. The interview is online here.
Letter to Chief Reserves and Cadets (National Defence) re: searches at summer camps
Last spring, OCLA was contacted anonymously by current and former employees of National Defence’s cadets summer camps program. The sources raised concerns about unwarranted searches of youth participants at the summer camps.
OCLA wrote to Jennifer Bennet, Chief Reserves and Cadets requesting a review of the search practices within the cadet summer camps. OCLA’s letter and Rear-Admiral Bennet’s responses are available here.
Media coverage of OCLA’s letter is online here.
OCLA at the Libertarian Party annual caucus meeting in Kingston, Ontario
The Ontario branch of the Libertarian Party of Canada has invited OCLA’s executive director to speak at its annual caucus meeting at the Ambassador Hotel in Kingston, Ontario on October 4th. You are most welcome to attend this open event.
Volunteering with OCLA
There are all kinds of ways you can collaborate with OCLA to help the organization grow and take part in the push-back for a freer and more democratic society. Everyone who works with OCLA is a volunteer. Please contact us to discuss your volunteering interests, no matter how large or how small!
How to stay connected and donate to OCLA
Twitter: @oncivlib
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/110883345731728/
OCLA is a non-profit organization. Donations help cover operating costs such as booking rooms for public events, printing promotional material for campaigns and events, and paying for court filing fees and court document production costs (copies and binding) regarding court and tribunal interventions on civil liberties issues.
Donations can be made in two ways:
1) through Paypal, by clicking the “Donate” button in the top-right corner ofhttps://ocla.ca; or
2) by sending a cheque to “Ontario Civil Liberties Association” to our mailing address:
Ontario Civil Liberties Association
180 Metcalfe Street, Suite 20
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K2P 1P5
Yours truly,
Joseph Hickey
Executive Director
Ontario Civil Liberties Association (OCLA) https://ocla.ca
On June 27, 2014, OCLA wrote to Rear-Admiral Jennifer Bennet, Chief Reserves and Cadets of National Defence, expressing concerns over unwarranted searches of youth participants in cadet summer camps. OCLA’s letter is posted here.
Rear-Admiral Bennet responded in a letter dated July 6, 2014. The response letter is posted here.
Update: Rear-Admiral Bennet sent a new letter to OCLA dated September 2, 2014 (posted here).
(OTTAWA, June 27, 2014) – The Ontario Civil Liberties Association (OCLA) has written to the Chief Reserves and Cadets of National Defence requesting action to protect the privacy rights of youth participants in cadet summer camps.
OCLA was informed that broad searches of cadets’ dorm rooms and lockers are conducted routinely at the summer camps, without particular reasonable grounds for the searches, and without informing cadets of the right to withdraw consent for searches at any time.
OCLA has asked for a review and the implementation of an exemplary policy and practice that sets a high standard for individuals’ rights to privacy. OCLA’s letter to the Chief Reserves and Cadets is available at the following link: https://ocla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/2014-06-27-Letter-OCLA-to-Chief-Reserves-and-Cadets.pdf
Contact:
Joseph Hickey
Executive Director
Ontario Civil Liberties Association (OCLA) https://ocla.ca
613-252-6148 (c)
joseph.hickey@ocla.ca
OCLA has written to Rear Admiral Jennifer Bennet expressing concerns over blanket searches of youth participants in Canada’s cadet summer camps programs.
(OTTAWA, May 13, 2014) – A $1 million defamation suit centred on and financed by the University of Ottawa is going to trial this week at the Ottawa Courthouse.
St. Lewis v. Rancourt traces its origins to a 2008 student federation report alleging systemic racism at the University of Ottawa, law professor Joanne St. Lewis’s critical evaluation of the student federation report, and former physics professor Denis Rancourt’s blog post about Professor St. Lewis’s evaluation, entitled “Did Professor Joanne St. Lewis act as Allan Rock’s house negro?”
The case has seen two judges withdraw, a major motion by the defendant alleging improper funding by the University of Ottawa which was dismissed by the Supreme Court, an allegation of appearance of judicial bias which was dismissed by the Supreme Court and which has initiated a United Nations complaint, and approximately 30 interlocutory motions since it began in June 2011. All of Professor St. Lewis’s legal fees are and have been paid for by the University of Ottawa, without limit, while Dr. Rancourt is self-represented.
Witnesses in the trial will include: University of Ottawa President Allan Rock, former Vice-President Academic Robert Major, former Dean of Common Law Bruce Feldthusen (for the plaintiff), and former U.S.A. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (for the defendant).
The trial is scheduled to last four weeks. Jury selection was completed yesterday. Opening statements will be heard on Thursday, May 15, at 10 a.m.
OCLA’s “Public Money is Not for Silencing Critics” campaign calls on the University of Ottawa to end its financing of the private defamation lawsuit St. Lewis v. Rancourt because such funding by a public institution violates freedom of expression and is antithetical to academic freedom, which the university is bound to protect.
About the Ontario Civil Liberties Association
OCLA is an organization formed to defend civil liberties at a time when fundamental freedoms are subjected to systemic erosion in all spheres of social life. OCLA opposes institutional policies and decisions that remove from the individual his or her personal liberty or exclude the individual from participation in the democratic functions of society.
Contact:
Joseph Hickey
Executive Director
Ontario Civil Liberties Association (OCLA) https://ocla.ca
613-252-6148 (c)
joseph.hickey@ocla.ca
