Publications

Racialized communities are disproportionately charged, prosecuted and incarcerated in Canada under laws that criminalize people who use drugs, depriving them of their rights to equal treatment in the justice system, to security of the person, and to health and social services. Canada’s failure to provide prisoners, who are disproportionately Indigenous and Black, with equivalent access … Read more

“The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network welcomes this opportunity to provide submissions to Global Affairs Canada on the scope of the renegotiation and modernization of the existing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). “Given the potential impact, domestically and globally, of a new trade agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico, this briefing focuses on how … Read more

“There is no evidence that mandatory prison time for people convicted of drug offences reduces the problems associated with drug use, or drug use itself. “At the same time, there is a growing body of evidence that mandatory minimum sentences wreak terrible damage on individuals (particularly those who are dependent on drugs), families and communities, … Read more

“The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network submits this briefing to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in advance of its review of the periodic report of Canada, held during its 93rd session from July 31 to August 25, 2017. “[T]he Legal Network has focused this briefing on its concerns about Canada’s implementation of … 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.

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

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.