TORONTO, December 12, 2016 — The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network welcomes the introduction of Bill C-37, which – at long last – signals a real turning point in Canada’s drug policy, emphasizing evidence, public health and human rights above fear, stigma and misinformation. We are heartened that the federal government is taking this much-needed action … Read more
“We call on the 17th Philippines Congress to preserve the right to life, and to not bring back use of the death penalty as proposed in House Bill No. 1. We urge all members of the House of Representatives and Senate to uphold the right to life enshrined in the Philippines Constitution 1987 (the Constitution) … Read more
Today, we remember the 14 women who lost their lives in a horrific act of gender-based violence at the hands of a lone gunman in Montréal. Though the incident occurred over 25 years ago, our society continues to struggle with the structural violence against women that manifests in many forms, and in many arenas, all … Read more
TORONTO, December 1, 2016 — The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and the HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO) welcome today’s statement by Canadian Minister of Justice Jody Wilson-Raybould recognizing the ongoing problem of overly-broad, unjust criminalization of people living with HIV. Today, fittingly for World AIDS Day, the federal government has signaled its intent … Read more
“In the past year, the federal government has taken some important steps in promoting the health and human rights of people living with and affected by HIV. […] But so much more is needed.” Read our letter to Canada’s Members of Parliament and Senators ahead of World AIDS Day on the role they can play … 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. Relying on the purportedly neutral criteria of the cost of health services, this law renders any applicant who would … Read more
GENEVA, November 18, 2016 — The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women issued its Concluding Observations today following its review of Canada’s compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. This is the first time the Committee reviewed women’s rights in Canada since 2008.
November 18, 2016 — Sex workers and allies in Canada are expressing deep concern and disappointment with the CEDAW Committee’s failure to adequately protect the rights of sex workers in Canada. During an international review of Canada’s progress on women’s human rights, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women sidelined the concerns of … Read more
Canada is in the midst of an opioid overdose crisis. This statement outlines concerns that civil society organizations have about the emerging federal, provincial and territorial response to this crisis and proposes a collaborative way forward to end the crisis.
The so-called Respect for Communities Act was passed in 2015 in the last Parliament, with the clear goal of impeding the expansion of supervised consumption services (SCS). The Act is an affront to the extensive scientific evidence of the need for such health services and their benefits — including connecting people to other health care … Read more