OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — A collective of Canadian lawyers and top academics demanded in an open letter that a Liberal government bill to give extra powers to police to monitor and search Canadians’ online digital activity without a warrant needs “amendments” at once.
The open letter states that Bill C-22, “An Act respecting lawful access,” has “serious constitutional concerns” that might violate the privacy and Charter rights of Canadians.
The May 4 letter includes the signatures of 13 Canadians and says changes are needed to Bill C-22 before it becomes law, even though it is not as bad as its predecessor, Bill C-2, which was never passed.
“Certain provisions of the bill as currently drafted raise serious constitutional concerns and fail to strike a reasonable balance between the legitimate needs of law enforcement and the privacy rights of Canadians,” the letter reads.
Recently, Conservative MP Dr. Matt Straus warned against the bill, saying it would give extra powers to police to monitor and search Canadians’ online digital activity without a warrant.
As reported by LifeSiteNews, Bill C-22 was introduced recently by Canadian Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree purportedly to address privacy concerns relating to another bill, Bill C-2, that would have permitted police and government officials to open and examine Canadians’ personal mail and would also ban cash donations over $10,000.
After backlash late last year about Bill C-2, Anandasangaree said he would rewrite portions of the bill. However, Bill C-22 contains concerning language largely taken from Bill C-2 regarding Canadians’ online privacy.
The letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre and multiple Liberal ministers is signed by 13 scholars, including Robert Diab, a law professor from Thompson Rivers University, and Michael Geist, research chair in internet and e-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa.
The scholars are concerned that the bill’s mandate for new online search powers by authorities is not needed because the tools needed to do so are already in place.
The letter raises concerns about the new search powers, including access to personal information.
“It can be directed to a physician, a cable company, or a platform like iCloud, requiring disclosure of what cable packages a person subscribes to, what medical services they receive, or what devices they use,” the letter reads. “Much of this information carries a high privacy interest and calls for a higher legal standard.”
The signatories are also concerned that the new bill allows the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) an extension of powers.
“The Charter concerns are more acute with CSIS, and the Service should have to satisfy a ‘reasonable grounds to believe’ threshold for all of these authorities,” the letter reads. “Unlike criminal defendants, ‘persons of interest’ to CSIS are never given an opportunity in court to challenge the intrusion of state power into their private lives.”
Scholars demand Bill C-22 be reformed and call for more oversight
The scholars in their letter wrote that Canadians’ constitutional rights must be fully respected.
“Canadians deserve privacy protections that are consistent with the Charter and with the values that the Supreme Court of Canada has consistently affirmed,” the letter states. “We offer these observations in the hope that they will contribute to a bill that can withstand the legal challenges that are certain to follow and that protects the security of all Canadians.”
Bill C-22 is now before the House of Commons awaiting a third reading.
The Democracy Fund (TDF), as reported by LifeSiteNews, recently warned that Bill C-22 will “erode privacy and civil rights” of citizens and is calling for the bill to be stopped.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) recently launched a petition to try to stop the bill.
Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s legacy of censorship bills has continued with Carney.
Bill C-9, the “Combating Hate Act,” was passed by the House of Commons earlier this week and now awaits Senate approval. The bill opens the door to criminalization of religious expression and belief when quoting certain parts of the Bible.
Carney has globalist ties and was called the World Economic Forum’s “golden boy” by Poilievre. Carney has also admitted he is an “elitist” and a “globalist.”
