Fiji, Hungary, Namibia, and the United States on Thursday filed a declaration of intervention to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case against Israel in relation to the situation in the Gaza Strip. The interventions highlighted the legal issues the court will be facing at trial. One such key issue is what constitutes [...]
The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights of Canada’s House of Commons ended the debate on the Combating Hate Act on Wednesday. Several groups criticized the push for passage, claiming that the bill is poorly drafted and would violate the freedoms of speech and religion. The Combatting Hate Act, Bill C-9, would criminalize the [...]
British Columbia’s attorney general introduced two bills on Monday that would effectively ban protests near schools and places of public worship in order to preserve public access and maintain public safety. In a press conference, BC Premier David Eby said the bills come in response to “disturbing events targeting Jewish and other religious communities.” Currently [...]
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled by an 8-1 majority on Friday that Quebec’s subsidized daycare regulation discriminated against women refugee claimants. The ruling requires Quebec to include refugee claimant parents as a group eligible for daycare subsidies. At issue is Section 3 of Quebec’s Reduced Contribution Regulation, which lists the population groups eligible to [...]
The Hong Kong Court of First Instance on Friday upheld a revised policy that limits journalists’ access to the vehicle registry. To obtain the particulars of a vehicle, journalists must now make a written submission to the Commissioner for Transport, outlining the purpose of obtaining the particulars of a vehicle and how it will be used. [...]
The South Korea Central District Court on Wednesday jailed two doctors for performing an abortion on a woman who was in her 36th week of pregnancy. The court held that the hospital director and the operating surgeon are both guilty of murder, sentencing them to prison terms of six and four years, respectively. According to the prosecutor, the [...]
A coalition of civil liberties organizations warned that Vancouver’s latest draft action plan fails to adequately address the risk of displacement facing the unsheltered population during the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026. In the joint statement, the groups urged the city government to engage in meaningful consultation with rights advocates and to develop stronger mitigation measures. [...]
In a public letter issued on Tuesday, the Canadian Bar Association urged the country’s Senate not to pass Bill C-12. The group said the bill would deprive asylum seekers of their right to procedural fairness and disproportionately impact vulnerable groups. In the statement, the Bar Association argued that diverting asylum seekers from the Immigration and [...]
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced Thursday that the province will hold a referendum on provincial immigration control and constitutional amendments in October 2026. The provincial referendum will ask Albertan voters nine questions. In terms of policy issues, voters will indicate their stances on increased provincial control over immigration to prioritize economic migration; limiting provincial social [...]
More than 80 rights groups and individuals on Wednesday jointly called on British Columbia (BC) to recommit to implementing Indigenous rights. In the statement, the groups urged the government not to amend the provincial Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) and the Interpretation Act, so as to preserve the reconciliation efforts that have [...]
