CBA Influence - Public Policy and Advocacy

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Today
Today

Getting early learning and child care right

  • January 23, 2024

The Aboriginal Law Section, Equality Subcommittee and Family Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association applaud the government’s vision for a countrywide learning and child care system as outlined in Bill C-35, the Canada Early Learning and Child Care Act.

Fulfil obligations to children in Canada

  • January 19, 2024

The President of the Canadian Bar Association, John Stefaniuk, K.C., reiterates the urgency for the government of Canada to fulfil its obligation to children in a letter to Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jenna Sudds.

Avoiding consent fatigue

  • September 26, 2023

The Privacy and Access to Information Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association offers suggestions (available in French only; all quotations taken from the submission are translations) regarding the consent guidelines of the Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec (CAI).

Abortion rights not up for debate

  • August 02, 2023

The Women Lawyers Forum of the Canadian Bar Association, in a May 29, 2023 letter to Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Marci Ien, expressed its opposition to Bill C-311, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (violence against pregnant women). The bill was defeated in the House of Commons a few weeks later.

Exempt legal advice from foreign influence registry

  • June 27, 2023

The Administrative Law Section and the Competition Law and Foreign Investment Review Section of the Canadian Bar Association welcome a foreign influence transparency regime to help detect covert actions by foreign governments that can be detrimental to Canada’s national interest. However, as they explain in a letter to Public Safety Canada, the Sections have one significant concern.

Reintroduce hate crime legislation

  • June 27, 2023

The Canadian Bar Association urges the federal government to introduce legislation to combat the recent and dramatic rise in hate crime, in particular against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirited, queer, intersex, and otherwise gender and sexually diverse (2SLGBTQI+), religious minority, racialized and ethnic communities.

Fill judicial vacancies

  • June 09, 2023

In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Judicial Issues Subcommittee of the Canadian Bar Association expresses strong support for recent concerns expressed by Chief Justice Richard Wagner over the high number of judicial vacancies.

Protecting solicitor-client privilege

  • May 29, 2023

Bill C-47, Budget Implementation Act, 2023, was recently tabled in the House of Commons with amendments on reportable and notifiable transactions sought by the CBA. First, an overly narrow definition of “solicitor-client privilege” is deleted from the Income Tax Act. Second, the new notifiable transactions regime will not apply retroactively.

Consultation needed on attempts to “fix” intersex children’s genitalia

  • May 26, 2023

The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Community Section, the Health Law Section, the Criminal Justice Section and the Child and Youth Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association, in a letter to Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Marci Ien, urge the federal government to launch a public consultation on non-consensual, deferrable and medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children.

Honour Canada’s commitment to children

  • May 26, 2023

In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several of his ministers, the President of the Canadian Bar Association, Steeves Bujold, exhorts them to make a detailed action plan to effectively implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children, or UNCRC.