Бритиш Каламбиенцы, аднакаUpdate on Petition to Stop Bill C-24
Thank you for saying NO to second-class citizenship in Canada by signing the petition calling for a stop to Bill C-24. You've indicated that you're interested in hearing more about this issue and the work of the BC Civil Liberties Association.
43,000 Said No to C24
Since we last wrote you, concern about Bill C24 has spread across the country. More than 43,000 Canadians signed our petition calling for an end to the proposed citizenship changes. Articles like this one in the Toronto Star show that experts on the issue are gravely worried by what this bill will do.
Despite concerns raised across the country, Bill C24 was passed by the Parliament of Canada and has now become law. We understand it will enter into force in the fall of 2014. We encourage you to share information with those who may be impacted. Thanks to CARL, information on this bill is now available in multiple languages.
Standing Up for Citizenship in the Courts
Although this bill has been passed, it does not mean that Canadians must always be saddled with a bad piece of law that violates their rights to equal citizenship and the procedural and legal safeguards that go along with it.
The Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL), supported by the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), announced recently that it will launch a legal challenge to the citizenship amendments.
Our organizations believe that where Charter rights are violated by bad pieces of law, the court system has a duty to uphold the rights of Canadians. We will not stand by while the foundations of our citizenship and our Canadian identity are threatened. We will keep you updated as our work on this issue proceeds.
Thank you,
Josh Paterson, Executive Director, and the BCCLA team
P.S. If you are interested in further supporting our fight against these citizenship amendments, we invite you to make a donation in support of our work here.
