Background Information

Backgrounder on the Arar Case on Canadian Rendition from the U.S. to Syria 19/04/2006
This mini report outlines the dynamics in the case of Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen who was stopped on a return flight to Canada via the U.S., and then sent to Syria where he was allegedly tortured for almost a year until the Syrians returned him to Canada. This report looks at the the case in detail and notes the lack of due process and protections in the creation of watchlists and the sharing of intelligence across borders.

Privacy Profile

PHR2006 - Canada 18/12/2007

PHR2004 - Canada 16/11/2004
Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms does not provide a guaranteed right to privacy. Despite the lack of a constitutional assurance, in interpreting Section 8 of the Charter, which grants the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure, Canada's courts have recognized an individual's right to a reasonable
expectation of privacy; what implications does this hold for Canadians?

Censorship Profile

Silenced - Canada 21/09/2003
The Supreme Court has recognized freedom of expression as lying at the heart of a free and democratic society and inherent to the Canadian system of government. How wide a definition is this?

News and Developments

Canadian investigation into rendition faults authorities for inaccurate data 19/09/2006
The national Commission that was charged to investigate the case of Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen who was rendered from the U.S. to Syria in 2002, released its report finding that the Canadian authorities relied and passed on inaccurate information to the U.S. government and wrongly placed Arar and his wife on border watchlists.

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Warns About "War on Terror" (external PDF) 04/11/2004
The Privacy Commissioner of Canada has issued her Annual Report for 2003-04. In it, she warns of the increasing amount of information collected on Canadian travellers and the international flows of that information. She also reiterated opposition to the creation of a national ID card and called for fair information practices to be applied to all new technologies that collect personal information.

BC Privacy Commissioner Warns of USA PATRIOT Act and Other Anti-Terror Laws 30/10/2004
In an eagerly awaited report, the Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia warns there is a “reasonable possibility” of unauthorized disclosure of British Columbians’ personal information under the USA Patriot Act, “rigorous other measures must be put into place to mitigate against illegal and surreptitious access."

Canadian Auditor General Clarifies Financial Surveillance 19/08/2003
In her 2003 report, the Auditor General of Canada analyses the legal and procedural situation in Canada with regards to combatting money laundering and terrorist financing through surveillance.

Legal and Policy Developments

Canadian Supreme Court upholds DNA databank 28/04/2006
The Supreme Court of Canada upheld the legality of the DNA database including the retroactive collection of profiles.

National DNA Data Bank of Canada 2004-2005 Annual Report 23/08/2005
National DNA Data Bank of Canada 2004-2005Annual Report

Canada Annual Wiretap Report 2004 23/08/2005

Canadian Provincial Court decides on legality of BC outsourcing of medical data 04/04/2005
In an eagerly awaited decision, the Supreme Court of British Columbia agreed on the legality of outsourcing medical database management to a U.S. firm where the data could be accessed under the USA-PATRIOT Act.

Europe decides on privacy protection in Canadian Travel Surveillance system 28/01/2005
The Article 29 Working Party of the European Commission released an assessment of the Canadian legal regime that requires the transfer of Passenger Name Record (PNR) and Advanced Passenger Information (API) from European Carriers.

Canadian Supreme Court permits infra-red home searches 11/11/2004
In R. v. Tessling, the Canadian Supreme Court rules that the use of a thermal imaging device to scan an individual's home did not violate the accused constitutional right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.

Canada Annual Wiretap Report 2003 23/07/2004

Canada Approves Public Safety Bill 19/05/2004
Despite taking three attempts to pass this law, the Bill C-7 was given Royal Assent, allowing the transfer of passenger data for non-terrorism purposes, and the sharing of data with other countries, through amendments to privacy laws.

Canada Annual Wiretap Report 2002 23/07/2003
Annual Report on the use of Electronic Surveillance 2002 by Honourable Wayne Easter, P.C., M.P., Solicitor General of Canada

Canada Annual Wiretap Report 2001 23/08/2002
Annual Report on the use of Electronic Surveillance 2001 by Honourable Wayne Easter, P.C., M.P., Solicitor General of Canada

PI Reports

PI Report on Freedom of Information, Secrets and Protection of Sources in OSCE (PDF) 02/05/2007
For World Press Freedom Day, PI has released a new report which reviews freedom of information, state secrets and protection of journalists sources laws in the 56 OSCE participating states and finds that while most OSCE countries have adopted freedom of information laws, there has been an increasing abuse of state secrets laws and illegal searches and wiretapping to limit journalists' and the public's right to know crucial information about the activities of their governments. A 400 page compendium of responses from questionnaires is also available.

PI Global Studies

Freedom of Information Around the World 2006 Report 20/09/2006
Privacy International released the 2006 Freedom of Information and Access to Government Records Around the World report on 20 September 2006. The survey reviews FOI and other access laws and their implementation in 70 countries. The survey is now available in English and Russian. A global map of FOI laws, regulations, and pending bills is also available.