Due process & Terrorism…

     July 2, 2015

Globe and Mail – Bob Rae
Charleston should teach us that terror laws need to be drafted with care

Rae argues for care around anti-terrorist bills and thinks the pendulum and the confusion about terrorism and crime has now “swung well past the point of reason and good sense.”  Rae considers the Charleston killings and its nine victims and sees a response not just in the forgiveness that flowed from the relatives and friends in the church but raises an alarm for democracy: “A democracy that is casual about due process and the protection of rights will lose its core value and direction.”   http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/charleston-should-teach-us-that-terror-laws-need-to-be-drafted-with-care/article25198887/

Federal public safety minister, RCMP clash over banned rifle

Here is a distressing story about how far the government will go to satisfy the gun lobby.  After Bill C-42, the federal cabinet has the authority to second guess and override the RCMP in the task of classifying prohibited weapons. Called the Common Sense Firearms Licensing Act, the Minister’s office (Blaney) says that the Cabinet would consult with other experts in any review but would not say who.  http://www.canada.com/news/national/Federal+public+safety+minister+RCMP+clash+over+banned+rifle/11176949/story.html

CBC News – Daniel Schwartz
How Canada is perceived around the world – Canadian Studies teachers and researchers comment on Canada

CBC’s Schwartz interviews a number of academics based in foreign countries but who teach or monitor what is happening around Canada’s reputation in their own capitals.  “They call themselves Canadianists, and we wanted to know what their students are being taught about Canada and what their perceptions are about Canada’s place in the world.”  Read on at the link!  http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/how-canada-is-perceived-around-the-world-1.3132343

Toronto Star – Alex Boutilier
Secret deal between Canada’s spies and border guards raises concerns

The Canada Border Services Agency and CSIS have agreed but no one is saying if a copy of the secret memorandum to Minister Blaney has resulted in approval of the scheme to share information without referring the request to any oversight body.  The spy agency’s governing rules specifically require approval of the Minister of Justice for inter-agencies memoranda like this one. “The Framework (Memorandum of Understanding) will also authorize (CSIS) to enter into more specific arrangements with CBSA, as required, without the necessity to seek your approval each time,” wrote CSIS director Michel Coulombe in a memo explaining the deal to Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney.” No one is answering questions… http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/07/02/secret-deal-between-canadas-spies-and-border-guards-raises-concerns.html

Tyee Solutions Society (BC) – Katie Hyslop
A Foot in the Door: From Jailhouse to No House

This article details some of the housing problems that follows inmates released after reaching statutory.  David Jolivet is a little unusual in that he transferred from US prison to serve a 30 year to life sentence in Canada and in fact served the full 30 years since parole and statutory does not apply in transfers.  Corrections Canada has no authority over those finally released, and does not provide any kind of support in housing.  Now the numbers of those released – 800 per year in Toronto alone, mostly 25-44 year old males  – is considerable and cities are beginning to realize that the lack of suitable housing just creates a cell to street to cell scenario.  http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/07/01/Jailhouse-To-No-House/

Toronto Star – Editorial (July 2, 2015)
Lessons for all in Dalhousie University’s infamous Facebook scandal: Editorial

Constance Backhouse of the University of Ottawa was the chair of the independent review of the Dalhousie misogyny incidents.  The editorial is suggesting the report needs to be required reading for any institution and that what happened in Dalhousie may easily happened anywhere there is a culture of indifference where “the university permitted a culture of “sexism, misogyny, homophobia and racism.”  The report alleges that the university ostracised the victims as well.  http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/07/02/lessons-for-all-in-dalhousie-universitys-infamous-facebook-scandal-editorial.html