In 2017 the HIV Legal Network, in collaboration with the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council, issued 50,000 wallet-size cards with vital information about the 2017 Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act. These cards have been updated as of October 2026. You can download a print-ready PDF of the card here if you wish to print your … Read more
This update includes legal information. If you would like to speak to a lawyer, you can find information about HALCO, the HIV Legal Network, and other legal services here: www.halco.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Legal-Services-in-Canada_April-14-2026.pdf HIV testing during Immigration Medical Exams Some people applying to come to or stay in Canada are required to have an Immigration Medical Exam (IME), … Read more
This letter was sent to Ontario’s Big City Mayors to express grave concern with the organization’s August 16 announcement encouraging the Ontario government to allow for involuntary medical treatment. August 20, 2026 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Chair Angela Trewartha, Executive Director (Acting) Re: Response to Reaction to Recovery Campaign Dear Representatives of Ontario’s Big City Mayors, … Read more
This webinar from February 24, 2026 looks at harm reduction in Canadian prisons through lived experience, frontline, clinical, legal, and institutional perspectives.
Hosted by the HIV Legal Network on February 12, 2026, this webinar examines the current political, legal, and social barriers to supervised consumption in Canada and how to push back.
Canadian civil society organizations are calling on Canada to continue showing leadership in global health, human rights, gender equality, and sexual and reproductive rights (SRHR) by supporting a strong Political Declaration at the HLM in June. Specifically, we urge Canada to demonstrate leadership in negotiations on the draft of the Political Declaration by supporting language … Read more
Shelters are more than temporary accommodation. They are essential services. They represent a safe space and a lifeline for many — and especially people who use drugs, who are overrepresented among people who are homeless and grappling with Canada’s toxic drug crisis. Shelters often connect people to vital services that are otherwise out of reach, … Read more
This submission to the Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law focuses on human rights violations against people in Canada of African descent, in the context of Canada’s drug laws.
The HIV Legal Network (“Legal Network”) submited the following information to assist the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (“OHCHR”) in its preparation of a report on drug policy and its impact on the rights of women and girls. The Legal Network’s submission focuses on the context in Canada.
Everyone — including people who have been detained — has a right to the highest attainable standard of health and to healthcare that is at least equivalent to that which is available in the community, whatever their immigration status. The current system — which allows for indefinite and punitive detention without comprehensive oversight — fails … Read more