Publications

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.

This submission responds to key questions that the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism has raised in support of her upcoming visit to Canada. Our responses focus on people who use drugs, sex workers, people without permanent residence or citizenship, and people living with HIV in Canada.

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

These materials were prepared by the HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO), HIV Legal Network, African Caribbean Council on HIV/ AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO), Africans in Partnership Against AIDS (APAA), and Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP). They will provide you with important information about the law in Canada. If you need legal advice, … Read more

Hard Time Persists: Healthcare and Harm Reduction in Canada’s Prison System Hard Time Persists – Moving Forward Everyone benefits from improved healthcare in prison and imprisonment is not a justification for the denial of healthcare. Gaps in policy and practice in the provision of healthcare in prison settings fuels the transmission of HIV, hepatitis C … Read more

IMPORTANT LEGAL UPDATE REGARDING REFUGEE CLAIMS IN CANADA On March 26, 2026, the government of Canada passed a new law called Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act. Among the serious changes, the new law significantly limits who can make a refugee claim in Canada. NEW RULES IMPACTING REFUGEE CLAIMS One-year limit to making a … Read more

On February 12, 2026, the HIV Legal Network hosted two webinars focused on current threats to harm reduction in Canada. The webinar, Hard Time for Harm Reduction: Saving Supervised Consumption Sites, was a 90-minute virtual event that brought together frontline workers, community organizers, advocates, researchers, and elected officials. Together, they examined growing legal and political … Read more

On February 24, 2026, the HIV Legal Network hosted the webinar Hard Time for Harm Reduction: Perspectives on Prison Programs. The discussion brought together advocates, healthcare professionals, researchers, frontline workers, and individuals with lived experience to examine harm reduction and healthcare in Canadian prisons. The event was the second of two webinars focused on growing … Read more

This summary report presents important findings from six Indigenous community dialogues conducted across Canada from 2023-2025. The dialogues were organized by the HIV Legal Network and CAAN Communities, Alliances & Networks as part of a broader project examining Indigenous Peoples’ lived experiences with HIV, hepatitis C (HCV), and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs).