Protecting Canadians doesn't compromise
civil liberties: Harper! OR Protecting the Canadian Public from the Domestic
Terrorism of the Democratic Institutions of this Country? If the bill to combat terrorism would be introduced by the regime, to safeguard human rights and the protection of citizens of the Canadian nation. Also the government under the Anti-terrorism legislation, has the right to review the mass atrocities committed against his own people; by workers in government institutions and private companies ... Domestic terrorism is daily practice by so-called democratic government institutions, and private companies, where millions of Canadians fall under the umbrella of mass atrocities, crimes against humanity ". Canadian state crimes include genocide, kidnapping, mental torture, imprisonment, murder, extermination, forcible transfer of population, sexual slavery, persecution, or any other means which causes great suffering. Crimes against humanity, which can be checked with overwhelming evidence in the "International Criminal Court", which operates under the Rome Statute, a treaty outlined in the legal definitions and operating procedures.
John
Ivison | January 30, 2015 | Last Updated: Jan 30 5:05 PM ET
More from John Ivison
More from John Ivison
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank GunnPrime Minister Stephen
Harper makes an announcement in Richmond Hill, Ont., on Friday, Jan. 30, 2015. This
is not a government that has inspired confidence in its respect for the
democratic institutions of this country.
The introduction of its new Anti-Terror legislation is a case in point –
the whole process happened hundreds of miles from Parliament during Question
Period; much of the media briefing took place without the legislation being
made available to journalists. Does it deserve to
be given the benefit of the doubt when it introduces a dramatic extension of
the surveillance powers of the state?
This is important stuff –
the crucial balance between freedom and security. As Benjamin Franklin noted, a
state that surrenders the former for the latter will not have, nor deserve,
either one.
Stephen
Harper said that the new legislation will “strengthen democracy and our
traditions of tolerance.” He said judicial oversight will protect the rights of
Canadians, “the rights that jihadists seek to destroy”.
“Not now, not ever will we allow [our] rights and freedoms
be taken from us,” the Prime Minister said.
Related
The new package has five parts – two of
which, in particular, will be scrutinized by civil libertarians. One is a
provision that makes it easier for police to detain suspected terrorists; the
second, a measure that enhances the powers of CSIS, Canada’s spy agency, to
allow it to disrupt threats. Currently, CSIS does not have the legal mandate to
take action concerning threats.
domestic terrorism?
(In addition, the bill criminalizes
advocacy and promotion of terrorism; gives more powers to prevent travel by air
for he purposes of engaging in terrorism; makes it easier for government
departments to share national security information; and, eases the use of
classified information in immigration proceedings.)
Peter MacKay, the justice minister,
called the response “necessary and proportionate”. But the legitimate fear
among civil rights advocates is that, without sufficient safeguards and
oversight, we could see the suspension of habeus corpus and a spy agency
running amok.
Under the law’s recognizance with
conditions measure, the threshold required for a judge to authorize a detention
will be lowered from reasonable grounds that a terrorism activity “WILL be
carried out” to “MAY be carried out”. In addition, it replaces the current
requirement that arrest is “NECESSARY to prevent” the carrying out of a
terrorist activity, to “LIKELY to prevent”.
MR. Harper Canadian Holocaust?
MR. Harper Canadian Holocaust?
That is a major shift in the tectonics
of Canadian criminal justice. It will be up to the government in the coming
days to justify the changes. The prevention powers have been in place since the
9/11 attacks but have never been used. The claim is that lowering the
evidentiary bar, it will allow police to intervene earlier and more often.
Mr. Harper: Crimes of Lesa Humanity?
Mr. Harper: Crimes of Lesa Humanity?
But, while judicial oversight of the
detention process remains in place, the definition of arrest on “reasonable
grounds that another person MAY commit a terrorism offence” is remarkably
vague. The public appears to be onside with measures to strengthen the ability
of law enforcement to protect Canadians. But I suspect there will be little
tolerance for widespread and indiscriminate detentions, which will surely
result in the radicalization of even more young Muslims. Friends who served
with the British Army in Northern Ireland estimate that the rounding up of
suspected terrorists under the internment program extended the Troubles by 20
years.
Cruelty... cruelty...MR. HARPER?
Cruelty... cruelty...MR. HARPER?
Canada remains remarkably resilient to
terrorism, largely because the fairness of its justice system and the
robustness of its institutions mean its citizens are less likely to become
disaffected to the point of armed insurrection
This sounds fair enough – the agency is
authorized only to take “proportional” measures to disrupt threats and would
need a court warrant whenever threat disruption measures contravene Charter
rights. But who is watching the spies to make sure they comply with their
mandate? The Security Intelligence Review Committee is charged with examining
the performance of CSIS but SIRC is not without its own critics. This,
remember, is the organization that used to be headed by alleged fraudster,
Arthur Porter.
There have been calls in the past to
have CSIS policed by an all-party parliamentary committee of MPs to allay fears
of sinister behaviour. A beefed up oversight function should have accompanied
the expansion of CSIS’s powers.
Canada remains remarkably resilient to
terrorism, largely because the fairness of its justice system and the
robustness of its institutions mean its citizens are less likely to become
disaffected to the point of armed insurrection.
The security services are the last line
in our defences. Whether handing them enhanced powers will strengthen our
democracy, as the Prime Minister maintains, will depend entirely on how they
are utilized.
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