By Nicholas Caivano, Policy Analyst, and Richard Elliott, Executive Director, Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network June 29, 2017 As the world again marks the United Nation’s “International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking,” too many UN member states are still missing the point — namely, that drugs are primarily a health issue and not a … Read more
The public health and human rights rationale for prison-based needle and syringe programs Programs that ensure access to sterile injecting equipment are an important component of a comprehensive approach to reducing the vulnerability of prisoners to HIV and HCV infection.
June 21, 2017 Today, National Aboriginal Day, we recognize not only the cultures and contributions of First Nation, Inuit and Métis people in Canada, but also the resilience and strength of these communities. Many Indigenous Peoples have had to cope with traumatic life circumstances, including those related to experiences with the residential school and child … Read more
By Maurice Tomlinson, Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network June 21, 2017 Without urgent action by the Government of Canada and other countries supportive of fundamental human rights, protections for LGBTQI people across the western hemisphere are about to be set back by a decade. This is because a very unfortunate precedent is likely … Read more
Highlights of our work in Canada and around the world from April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017.
“We, the undersigned, write to you respecting the recent passage into law of Bill C-37, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related amendments to other Acts. As you well know, the intent of this law is to facilitate the scaling up of safer consumption services (SCS) across Canada, … Read more
“In advance of the adoption of the List of Issues Prior to Reporting for Canada’s periodic review under the UN Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (‘Convention’), to be held during its 93rd session from 31 July to 25 August 2017, the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network (‘Legal Network’) would like to provide … Read more
“In Canada, people seeking permanent resident status or temporary residence as students or workers can be rejected on the basis of their HIV status due to the ‘excessive demand’ provision of Canada’s laws governing medical inadmissibility. “We recommend that the excessive demand provision be repealed, for the following reasons: The excessive demand provision is discriminatory. … Read more
TORONTO, May 15, 2017 — Today scientists, medical professionals, policy makers, activists and people who use drugs are gathering in Montréal for the 25th Harm Reduction International Conference 2017 (HR17). Meanwhile the opioid crisis rages on and, even as Canada takes an important step forward by legalizing and regulating cannabis, outdated prohibitionist drug policies continues to … Read more
We urge the Standing Committee on Social Policy to uphold the human rights of sex workers by rejecting Bill 96, the Anti-Human Trafficking Act 2017, as it does not help end trafficking but endangers the safety and security of vulnerable people, particularly migrant sex workers.