British Columbia Civil Liberties Association

British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
Formation1962; 62 years ago (1962)[1]
TypeNon-government organization
PurposeCivil liberties advocacy
HeadquartersVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Membership
1000+ members
President
David Fai
Executive Director
Stephanie Goodwin
Policy Director
Aisha Weaver
Budget
$1.2M (2016)[2]
Websitebccla.org

The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) is an autonomous, non-partisan charitable society that seeks to "promote, defend, sustain, and extend civil liberties and human rights."[3] It works towards achieving this purpose through litigation, lobbying, complaint assistance, events, social media, and publications. Founded in 1962, it is Canada's oldest civil liberties association. It is based in Vancouver and is jointly funded by the Law Foundation of British Columbia and by private citizens through donations and memberships.

The BCCLA, through its staff lawyers and pro bono counsel, litigates constitutional issues and commonly appears as an intervenor, applicant, or plaintiff at all levels of Canadian courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada. The association's work is guided by the rights and liberties embodied in such documents as Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, France's Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the bills of rights in the United States, Britain, and Canada.[3] The association is unaffiliated with any other organization or political group; however, the association often works cooperatively with other organizations, such as Pivot Legal Society, the John Howard Society, and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, on common causes.[4]

The BCCLA has been consulted by both the governments of Canada and British Columbia on proposed actions or policies that may give rise to civil liberties or human rights concerns.[5] In the early 1980s, the association was invited to appear before the Special Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons on the Constitution to participate in the public consultations on the proposed Charter of Rights and Freedoms.[5] The association was consulted by the federal government in its creation of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA, 2000) and by British Columbia's government in its creation of the Personal Information Privacy Act (PIPA, 2003).[6]

  1. ^ "Our History". BC Civil Liberties Association. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  2. ^ 2016 Annual Report (PDF). Vancouver, British Columbia: BC Civil Liberties Association. 2017. p. 15.
  3. ^ a b Constitution and Bylaws (PDF). BC Civil Liberties Association. 2015. p. 1.
  4. ^ "About – BC Civil Liberties Association". BC Civil Liberties Association. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Bryden, Philip (1994). "Protecting Rights and Freedoms: An Overview". In Mitchell, Timothy (ed.). Questions of Modernity. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 4. ISBN 0802074103.
  6. ^ 2003 Annual Report. Vancouver: BC Civil Liberties Association. 2004. p. 7.