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February 1, 2016 — Today the Jamaican Court of Appeal will begin hearing a landmark case brought forward by Jamaican attorney and human rights activist, Maurice Tomlinson. The case is challenging national television stations that refused to air a “tolerance ad” promoting respect for the human rights of LGBTI people. The original hearing set for July 22–24, 2015, … Read more

Last Thursday, international Human Rights Day (December 10), senior policy analyst Maurice Tomlinson publicly launched a legal challenge to Jamaica’s anti-sodomy law, arguing that it violates the constitutional rights of LGBTI people. It has made news across the country — including an endorsement from the Jamaica Gleaner, the country’s most influential newspaper — and around the world, with stories appearing in The New … Read more

TORONTO, December 9, 2015 — Jamaican human rights activist Maurice Tomlinson has filed a claim in the Supreme Court of Judicature, challenging the constitutionality of Jamaica’s laws criminalizing consensual sex between men. The legal challenge — which will be announced at a press conference tomorrow in Kingston, Jamaica — is being supported by the Canadian … Read more

Toronto, November 30, 2015 — In a briefing paper released to parliamentarians in advance of World AIDS Day (December 1), the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network is calling on the new federal government to take decisive steps to address the HIV epidemic, both in Canada and abroad. Laying out five key areas and recommending associated actions, … Read more

TORONTO, October 13, 2015 — Three major federal political parties have come out in support of reforming Canadian drug policy. If elected, they would address Canada’s “drug problem” through sound evidence-based measures that reduce harm and protect public safety, rather than the misinformed and punitive approach that currently dominates the country’s policy.

June 11, 2015   The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, the Canadian AIDS Society and HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO) welcome the decision today in the case of R v. Smith, in which the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously decided that patients with a legal authorization to use cannabis as medicine are entitled to consume … Read more

“We, the undersigned, firmly believe that today’s anticipated Senate passage of Bill C-2, the so-called Respect for Communities Act, undermines the rights of people who use drugs to access life-saving and health-protecting services.”

While Ontario Attorney General Madeleine Meilleur has not yet publicly released her review of Canada’s new, misguided sex work law, we understand – according to a reported statement today by Premier Kathleen Wynne – that this review has found “no clear unconstitutionality” in the socalled Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act. We disagree with … Read more

As Bill C-2 comes up for a final vote in the House of Commons, organizations across Canada voice their support for life-saving supervised consumption services for people who use drugs. [Click here to read the Statement to Canadian Parliamentarians Opposing Bill C-2.]

February 4, 2015 It is estimated that 1.3 million people have experienced homelessness in Canada over the past five years. The country’s streets are host to some 235,000 people on any night, and many more struggle in inadequate or unreliable housing. Yet despite these unconscionable numbers, Canada does not have a federal housing strategy — … Read more