Publications

The HIV Legal Network made this submission to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee (“Committee”) in advance of its review of Canada’s periodic report, detailing our concerns about Canada’s implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This submission provides information on violations of Articles 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, and … Read more

Sign the letter here. 15 December 2025 Via email Anne Kelly, Commissioner, Correctional Service Canada (CSC) Marie Doyle, Assistant Commissioner, Health Services, CSC cc: Bassem Guirguis, National Pharmacist, CSC; Darcy Stoneadge, Director, Health Policy and Programs, CSC; Dr. Asim Masood, Chief Medical Office of Health, CSC; Dr. Guy Hébert, National Physician Lead, CSC; Dr. Nader … Read more

Sign the letter here. 15 December 2025 Via email Anne Kelly, Commissioner, Correctional Service Canada (CSC) Marie Doyle, Assistant Commissioner, Health Services, CSC cc: Bassem Guirguis, National Pharmacist, CSC; Darcy Stoneadge, Director, Health Policy and Programs, CSC; Dr. Asim Masood, Chief Medical Office of Health, CSC; Dr. Guy Hébert, National Physician Lead, CSC; Dr. Nader … Read more

We hope you’ll read our 2024-25 annual report — Securing Rights: Using Our Values to Meet the Moment — to find out more about the kind of positive change we’re making and get a glimpse of what we hope to accomplish in 2026.

November 4, 2025 Dear Minister Jones: cc: Premier Ford Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Vijay Thanigasalam Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health Ontario Medical Officers of Health, Ontario Public Health Ontario Ontario Public Health Association Public Health Agency of Canada Association of Local Public Health Agencies We are writing to demand that … Read more

It’s Not So Simple: The impact of simple drug possession and trafficking offences on health equity builds on research demonstrating the many harms resulting from laws and policies that punish people who use drugs by specifically examining the consequences of recent shifts in how police and prosecutors pursue and lay drug possession and trafficking charges. … Read more

Find out about the legal implications of operating an Overdose Prevention Site in Ontario and protections for operators and patrons. Supervised Consumption Sites (SCS) and Overdose Prevention Sites (OPS) are proven to save lives. In Ontario, 6-7 people die each day from toxic, unregulated drugs. Yet, as of 2025, Ontario has closed various kinds of consumption … Read more

In 2007, the HIV Legal Network (Legal Network) published Hard Time: HIV and Hepatitis C Prevention Programming for Prisoners in Canada, exploring health and harm reduction policies and practices in Canada’s provincial, territorial, and federal prisons. Then, as now, the Legal Network confirmed that everyone benefits from improved healthcare in prison, and that imprisonment is … 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

On Friday, April 11, the HIV Legal Network wrote to the party leaders in the Canadian Federal election with key questions on their party’s positions on issues related to HIV, human rights, and the law.  Download the response from the Bloc Québécois, received on April 16, 2025 (French only):