STAY INFORMED
Reports and
Analyses
Learn more about rights and freedoms, democracy, and responsible government.
Central Bank Digital Currency?
Learn how it threatens your privacy, autonomy, security, and access
Released: March 17, 2025
This report provides a comprehensive analysis of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and their impact on Canadians’ rights and freedoms, including privacy, security, and autonomy. It explains the technical aspects of CBDCs and provides lessons from countries with negative outcomes from CBDCs, including Nigeria and the Caribbeans.
The report also addresses the drawbacks of a largely cashless society, as seen in Australia, Sweden, Finland, and Norway. It challenges the inevitable adoption of a Canadian CBDC and emphasizes that while CBDC promises enhanced security and profitability, these claims are misleading and overlook the significant risk: a poorly designed Canadian CBDC could seriously restrict freedom.
Digital ID, Surveillance, and the Value of Privacy – Part Two
Released: August 9, 2023
Digital ID (and other technologies with tracking and profiling capabilities) may be used by governments and partnering agencies to collect data about citizens. Among other problems, these technologies may threaten the privacy of their users.
Digital ID, Surveillance, and the Value of Privacy – Part One
Released: April 4, 2023
Information technologies with data-tracking and/or user-profiling capabilities generate significant privacy concerns. Proposals for Canadian digital identification frameworks often make accommodations for those frameworks to have data-tracking and user-profiling capabilities and do, therefore, generate privacy concerns.
Canada’s Road to Beijing: The digital threat to the Charter rights and freedoms of Canadians
Released: Wednesday, August 10, 2022
Canada’s rapid increase in the use of Digital Identification (Digital ID) raises serious privacy concerns. The amount of data collected with Digital ID follows dictatorial nations who use data to eliminate dissidents, all while tracking, monitoring, and controlling their population. This empowers Canadian Governments to intervene in Canadians’ affairs and unduly restrict their Charter rights and freedoms.
The rise of excess and unexplained deaths in Canada
Released: Friday, August 25, 2023
This report shows that excess deaths in Canada continue to be a significant problem in 2022 for all age groups, with a 75 percent increase from 2021, and a quarter of them still unclassified or attributed to ill-defined or “unknown” causes. Despite this, Canadian authorities cited excess “Covid” deaths as justification for their stringent pandemic restrictions. This report unveils the scarce analysis of, and reporting delays, regarding causes of deaths, highlighting that their accuracy was questionable (potentially overreported), while emphasizing the need for timely access to vital statistics.
Excess deaths contradict narrative of success
Released: Thursday, September 15, 2022
This Report challenges the sucess of Canada’s response to the Covid Pandemic, exposing the ignored consequences of stringent public health measures imposed upon Canadian citizens. It outlines several unforseen increases in indirect and unexplained deaths stemming from Covid health measures, casting a shadow on Canada’s praised pandemic response actions.
Protecting citizens’ freedoms during a public health emergency
Released: Friday, October 27, 2023
The Justice Centre has submitted to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and all MLAs a proposal for amending Alberta’s Public Health Act. The proposed amendments would empower MLAs to hold the Chief Medical Officer of Health to account for any laws or health orders that violate the Charter rights and freedoms of Albertans.
Who had the worst bunk in Canada’s locked down barracks?
Released: Thursday, April 14, 2022
This report provides detailed analysis of how Canadians’ rights and Freedoms were disregarded during the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. It compairs the Covid-19 policies of different provinces and reveils which had the most stringent lockdown policies.
Two weeks to flatten the curve, Two years to flatten our freedoms
Released: Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Canadian governments have imposed many unscientific restrictions on Canadians’ rights and freedoms. This report analyzes the efficacy and negative impacts of public health measures such as social distancing, masking, vaccine mandates, amongst others. It also provides a comprehensive assessment of communications from politicians, global health authorities, and Canadian government agencies that lead to such drastic health measures, highlighting the years of changing objectives and moving goalposts, all amounting to nothing more than unscientific perpetuation of failed policies.
Omicron: a variant of fearmongering
Released: Friday, March 4, 2022
The message of fear proclaimed by government officials and the media was far overblown in light of the actual evidence concerning Omicron, the “variant of concern.” Harsher lockdowns, restrictions, and mandates were imposed throughout Canada without justification, and Charter-protected rights and freedoms were infringed with no demonstrable evidence. Omicron, as this Justice Centre Report shows, was just another variant of fearmongering.
Covid versus the Spanish Flu of 1918: Does the virus merit the government’s response?
Released: Friday, January 28, 2022
The Report compares the historical data of past influenza outbreaks throughout the world with the current data on Covid-19, revealing that the Canadian governments’ response to Covid was too extreme. In analyzing Canada’s public health measures and their costs, this report reveals the effects of the public health measures on mental health, the economy, substance abuse, amongst other factors.
Covid Vaccines Do not Stop Covid Spread: An analysis of current data
Released: Tuesday, December 21, 2021
This report analyzes the Covid 19 data presented by governments and public health institutions, comparing the effectiveness of Covid vaccine implementations in various heavily vaccinated communities. It reveals that whatever value vaccines may have in reducing hospitalization and mortality, they do not ‘work’ with the thoroughness government leaders claim, and certainly not to the degree that mandatory enforcement or vaccine passports could ever be justified in Canada as a reasonable limitation upon our rights and freedoms.
Are lockdowns worth their cost?
Released: Wednesday, December 15, 2021
This report analyzes the great costs of the Covid-19 lockdowns. It reveals the monumental harms the lockdowns have on the Canadian economy, the physical and mental health of Canadian youth and adults, amongst other societal harms. It asks whether the lockdowns are really worth their high cost, and whether it’s possible that “lockdown will go down as one of the greatest peacetime policy failures in Canada’s history,” as posited by Canadian economist Douglas Allen?
Lockdowns and the Science of Covid, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya
Released: Wednesday, June 23, 2021
This report, prepared by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya for the Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench, providing research and evidence based answers to serious uncertainties which impacted the lives of Manitobans. Detailed scientific explanations answer commonly asked questions in regards to the lockdowns implemented during the Covid pandemic, the report also provides support for the claim that Manitobans had their Charter entailed freedoms violated and that the implementation of the lockdowns was unconstitutional.
Covid in Canada: Nothing much to fear
Released: Wednesday, April 28, 2021
This report provides a chronological summary of the evolving scientific evidence on Covid-19 and the public health measures implemented by governments. The comparision of costs versus benefits of the public health measures are provided along with “Ten reasons not to be afraid of COVID 19”, explaining why the ongoing violations of Charter rights and freedoms are not justified by facts and evidence.
Flying Blind: Governments’ hasty decisions to lock down Canadians while damaging public health and the economy
Released: Thursday, December 3, 2020
This Charter Analysis provides a complete examination of the multitute of infringements of Charter freedoms and how the lockdowns affected Canadians health and overall economic wellbeing. It examines the direct deaths and second-hand deaths stemming from lockdowns, and discusses the governments’ unscientific lockdown measures.
Manitoba Government lockdowns violate Charter: legal analysis
Released: Sunday, November 29, 2020
This legal analysis explains how the Manitoba Government’s lockdown measures violate Charter freedoms, how they have not met their constitutional duty to justify these violations, and discusses the social and economic harms caused by lockdown measures, and their negative impact on physical and mental health.
The Unjustified Persistence of Lockdowns: A Charter Analysis of Saskatchewan’s lockdown measures
Released: Monday, September 14, 2020
This Charter Analysis of Saskatchewan’s response to COVID-19 discusses how the Government’s lockdown measures violate Charter freedoms; why the Government has failed to justify these violations as required by the Charter; the economic harm and negative impact on health care, caused by lockdown measures; and the inaccurate and unjustified modelling documents released by the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
Benefits assumed, harms ignored: A Charter Analysis of British Columbia’s Response to COVID-19
Released: Thursday, July 9, 2020
This Charter Analysis of BC government’s response to COVID-19 discusses their lockdown measures and how they violate Charter freedoms; the government’s Charter obligation to justify these violations; the inaccurate claims made about COVID-19 in 2020; the harms to the economy and healthcare caused by lockdown measures; the modelling released by the BC Centre for Disease Control; and more.
Unprecedented and Unjustified: A Charter Analysis of Ontario’s Response to COVID-19
Released: Tuesday, June 23, 2020
The Justice Centre has released a comprehensive Charter analysis of the violations of Ontarians’ freedoms to move, travel, assemble, associate and worship, as protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
No longer demonstrably justified: An Analysis of Alberta’s COVID-19 Modelling
Released: Wednesday, May 13, 2020
The lockdown measures implemented by the Alberta government have and continue to limit Charter rights and freedoms. In this analysis, we analyze the Alberta COVID-19 Modelling documents (released on April 08) and reveal that the underlying data and assumptions of these models were and remain inaccurate. We assert that these models, which should have been made public much sooner, do not provide sufficient basis to justify the continuation of Alberta’s unprecedented Charter violations.
Analysis of Part 3 of Alberta’s Public Health Act: (Communicable Diseases and Public Health Emergencies)
Released: Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Bill 10, passed in Alberta in 2020, expands governmental powers under Part 3 of Alberta’s Public Health Act by allowing ministers to not only suspend existing laws without consultation but also create new laws and offenses during a public health emergency. These ministerial orders can override existing legislation and remain in effect indefinitely, extending their impact well beyond the immediate emergency period.
Reflecting on Freedom of Expression in Canada
Released: Wednesday, February 15, 2023
In this Short Reflection, the Justice Centre considers institutional, legal, and social pressures on the enjoyment of freedom of expression in Canada. On Canadian campuses, powerful actors appear to be silencing “controversial” perspectives and creating conditions that undermine the possibility of genuine inquiry. Meanwhile, Canadian elected and unelected officials are passing laws that would grant authorities extraordinary powers to regulate and censor online content and broadcasting. And, across Canada and the world, a culture of dialogue and disagreement has been replaced by a culture of cancelling and intolerance. In certain cases, this culture is being reinforced by the Canadian legal system.
Government has no place in determining the truth for all
Released: Thursday, May 19, 2022
The truth of the Holocaust should not blind us to the danger of truth being legislated by government, by way of criminalizing the public expression of falsehoods. In the “free and democratic society” which the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms holds out as its ideal, it is the Canadian people themselves, not their governments, who determine what is true or false, right or wrong, good or evil. When governments declare — and impose — what they deem to be true in the realms of science, philosophy, art, culture, literature, politics, theology, medicine or history, the result is authoritarianism rather than freedom.
“Hate” or “Disagreement”? Respecting Charter-protected freedom of expression in a digital world
Released: Friday, May 31, 2019
“(Brief to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights)
In order to preserve Canada’s liberal democracy, federal and provincial governments must pay closer attention to their constitutional obligations. The intent to protect the constitutional right of freedom of expression must begin to be “fundamental” to governments, not an afterthought, or an inconvenience.”
Defending Democratic Discourse: Repealing the unconstitutional provisions of the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act
Released: Wednesday, May 1, 2019
The 2016 amendments to Alberta’s Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act (EFCDA) introduced unprecedented, permanent restrictions on “political advertising,” requiring third parties to register with Elections Alberta if spending over $1,000. These regulationsseverely restrict free expression and privacy, undermining democratic principles and should therefore be repealed.
A Threat to Democracy: Government control over Canadians’ thoughts, beliefs and opinions
Released: Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Montion M-103, passed by the House of Commons, calls for combating “Islamophobia” and other forms of discrimination without clearly defining these terms. The motion’s vague language concerning as it broadens the governments powers by allowing them to interpret what constitutes hate speech, leading to possible suppression of free speech and thought under the guise of quelling public fear and hate.
Protecting academic freedom and freedom of expression on campus : A submission to the Quebec government on bill 32
Released: Tuesday, May 24, 2022
This Brief was submitted to the Quebec government in support of Bill 32, an act respecting academic freedom in the university sector. Using legal cases and testimonials from prominent University Professors, it discusses the climate of self-censorship and ideological conformity that unfortunately defines the university experience for today’s faculty, staff, and students. This Brief supports Quebec’s Bill 32 that seeks to address this.
Resisting Censorship on Campus: Your Right to Express Your Opinions
Release: Friday, September 17, 2019
Universities are increasingly deviating from their purpose of upholding free expression, dialogue, and debate, by censoring and restricting expression on campus. This report discusses how students’ expression is legally protected and how to overcome censorship on campus.
Empowering Free Inquiry: An Act to Protect Free Expression at Alberta’s Public Colleges and Universities
Released: Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Canadian universities, traditionally bastions of free inquiry, are increasingly experiencing censorship and suppression of diverse viewpoints, threatening their core missions of truth-seeking and knowledge dissemination. This Proposal, submitted to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, aims to safeguard these values by ensuring campuses remain open to all views without disruption or censorship, reinforcing the fundamental freedoms upheld by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Proposal for an Act to Protect Free Expression at Ontario’s public colleges and universities
Released: Friday, July 20, 2018
Canadian universities, traditionally bastions of free inquiry, are increasingly experiencing censorship and suppression of diverse viewpoints, threatening their core missions of truth-seeking and knowledge dissemination. This Proposal, submitted to Ontario Premier Doug ford, aims to safeguard these values by ensuring campuses remain open to all views without disruption or censorship, reinforcing the fundamental freedoms upheld by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Inclusion, harassment, and discrimination: addressing barriers to free expression at WLU
Released: Sunday, May 20, 2018
This submission provides feedback from the Justice Centre to the Draft Statement on Freedom of Expression released by Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) Task Force on Freedom of Expression on April 2018. Having previously submitted recommendations to the Task Force which expounded on the central importance of freedom of expression on campus, and recommended that WLU prohibit only criminal hate speech, the feedback in this submission criticizes WLU’s Draft Statement for failing to robustly protect free expression on campus by allowing restrictions based on vague notions of “inclusivity,” “discrimination,” and “harassment”.
Free Speech on Campus: The Pursuit of Truth as the Purpose of Education
Released: Tuesday, February 20,
This submission to the Wilfrid Laurier University Task Force on Freedom of Expression is intended to assist in developing a thorough, principled statement on freedom of expression. It argues that there should be no greater celebration of, and protection for, freedom of expression than at Canada’s institutions of higher learning, and that the threshold for prohibited speech must be exceedingly high, founded on a recognition of liberty and its good. Therefore, it recommends that WLU prohibit only criminal hate speech.
Free Expression on Campus: Know your Rights
Released: Saturday, February 22, 2014
The law is on your side: a guide for student groups concerned about censorship on campus
Bill C-7: The Danger of Undue Influence
Released: Friday, November 20, 2020
Bill C-7 would allow medical assistance in dying (MAiD) for patients who have previously consented but may no longer be able to express their current wishes, creating the possibility for it to be applied to individuals who have since changed their minds. The bill also opens the door undue influence and coercion by lowering the number of required independent witnesses, heightening risks for vulnerable populations, especially during the isolation conditions imposed by COVID lockdowns.
Religion and the Charter: the freedom to practice, critique, and offend
Released: Monday, November 20, 2017
This short paper outlines the importance of maintaining a principled approach towardsthe freedom of religion, including the freedom to practice as well as criticize religion. Underpinning these freedoms is tolerance, of both religion and dissenting expression. Necessarily, this tolerance will encompass religious practice and critique that is lawful, yet possibly offensive to some.
Protections for Conscience Rights : Recommended Amendments to Bill C-14: re: (medical
assistance in dying)
Released: Wednesday, March 22, 2017
This Brief to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights recommends ammendments to Bill C-14 to codify protections for the conscience rights of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care workers, as well as health care organizations and institutions, to refuse to participate in, and refuse to refer for MAID.
Continuing the Healing Tradition: Charter Protection for Fredom of Conscience
Released: Tuesday, March 22, 2016
This legal analysis of the draft guidelines of conscientious objection of the the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta finds that it fails to properly recognize the government’s duty to accommodate the moral, ethical and religious beliefs of physicians. This results in the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) taking a dismissive approach to physicians’ Charter rights, and infringing those rights in the name of encouraging access to health services.
Protecting Patients and Doctors: The Charter Rights of Medical Practitioners
Released: Monday, February 1, 2016
This Brief to the Special Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying asserts that the the Charter rights of objecting medical practitioners supersede the rights of those who wish to die by Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS). Thus, for Parliament to appropriately balance the rights at play here it must properly codify it into the pending legislation. To that end, the Justice Centre makes five recommendations, the first of which is to explicitly allow physicians to refuse to participate in, and refer for, PAS.
Refusing to Refer – Charter protection for physician conscience rights
Released: Friday, May 22, 2015
This legal analysis of Manitoba’s Draft Statement on Physician Assisted Dying asserts that significant ambiguities in the Statement need to be addressed to physicians’ Charter rights. The Statement fails to properly recognize the government’s duty to accommodate the moral, ethical and religious beliefs of physicians, which results in the College taking a dismissive approach to physicians’ Charter rights, and infringing those rights in the name of encouraging access to health services.
In Defence of Charter Freedoms – Submitted to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan
Released: Sunday, March 22, 2015
A legal analysis of the constitutionality of the “Policy – Conscientious Refusal” Submitted to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan. The College provides no rational for failing to accommodate the Charter right of moral, ethical, religious or conscientious objections of physicians who diagree with these services. It doesn’t even recognize the government’s duty to accommodate physicians, which results in the College taking a dismissive approach to physicians’ Charter rights, doing so in the name of encouraging access to health services.
In Defence of Charter Freedoms – Submitted to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
Released: Sunday, February 22, 2015
A legal analysis of the constitutionality of the draft policy, “Professional Obligations and Human Rights” Submitted to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. The College provides no rational for failing to accommodate the Charter right of moral, ethical, religious or conscientious objections of physicians who diagree with these services. It doesn’t even recognize the government’s duty to accommodate physicians, which results in the College taking a dismissive approach to physicians’ Charter rights, doing so in the name of encouraging access to health services.
Categorical School Notification Restrictions Violate the Constitutional Rights of Students and Parents
Released: Wednesday, November 20, 2019
This Report addresses the continuation of Notification Prohibition in Alberta schools, which restricts school officials from informing parents about their children’s participation in certain clubs and activities, despite the absence of such a requirement in the current Education Act. It calls for policy reforms to ensure transparency and uphold the constitutional rights of parents to be informed, aligning with the legal need to respect individual student circumstances and parental rights.
Parental Rights are Human Rights: Alberta’s Bill 24 violates Charter freedoms
Released: Monday, November 20, 2017
“Bill 24, An Act to Support Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA), undermines parental rights by prohibiting parents from knowing if their child is being
exposed to sexual content through a GSA or a related “activity” as defined by the School Act. Parents will be prevented from knowing who has access to their child, and what their child is being taught about sexuality and morality. Bill 24 is a serious infringement on the constitutional right of parents to be fully informed about what goes on at the schools attended by their children, what their children are taught, and by whom children are taught.”
Protecting Children, Protecting Families
Released: Thursday, April 20, 2017
This Reports defends the legal rights of parents in Alberta to be fully informed about their children’s educational activities, including participation in Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs). It argues against the practice of schools withholding such information from parents, citing constitutional and international laws that support parental rights to direct and be informed about all aspects of their children’s education.
Parental Choice in Education: Alberta’s laws protect diversity and religious freedom
Released: Tuesday, April 22, 2014
The greatest strength of Alberta’s education system is its commitment to authentic diversity and maximum choice for parents. That strength is now under vociferous attack with increasing hostility towards Christian schools in Alberta, specifically towards their stance and policies around sexual behavoiur. This hostility is not supported in law. Both, the Canadian Charter and international law support freedom of conscience and religoin. These must continue to be upheld.
Brief to Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights regarding Bill C-6
Released: Thursday, November 12, 2020
This Brief discusses the “overbroad and dangerous” nature of the conversion therapy Bill C-6. It explains four significant ways in which it infringes on Charter rights and freedoms.
Unconscionable and Unconstitutional: Bill C-8’s Attempt to Dictate Choices Concerning Sexuality and Gender
Released: Tuesday, May 12, 2020
While condemning harmful conversion practices is commendable, this report argues that the federal government’s Bill C-8, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy), unjustifiably imposes broad, ideological restrictions on personal choices regarding sexuality and gender, infringing on Charter rights. The bill’s expansive definition of “conversion therapy” effectively bans various supports, restricts healthcare options for children with gender distress, and threatens the fundamental liberties of Canadians, including freedom of expression, conscience, and religion.
Interfering with Liberty, Sexuality and Gender: Overbroad Bans on “Conversion Therapy”
Released: Monday, May 4, 2020
The municipal governments’ proposed ban on “conversion therapy,” infringes on private choices about sexuality and gender identity, which could include various non-coercive forms of support. These laws exceeds the municipalities’ jurisdiction and violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by limiting the freedom to seek medical, psychological, or spiritual support, risking human rights complaints and legal challenges.
City of Calgary’s proposed “Conversion Therapy” Bylaw: An Overbroad and Arbitrary Violation of Calgarians’ Individual Liberties
Released: Tuesday, April 28, 2020
The City of Calgary’s proposed ban on “conversion therapy,” infringes on private choices about sexuality and gender identity, which could include various non-coercive forms of support. This bylaw exceeds the city’s jurisdiction and violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by limiting the freedom to seek medical, psychological, or spiritual support, risking human rights complaints and legal challenges.
Read Justice Centre’s response
Preserving Canada’s Free Society: Submission re: Bill C-16 (Transgenderism)
Released: Monday, May 20, 2017
Bill C-16, which is aimed at protecting transgender rights, does so at the expense of the rights and freedoms of everybody else. Morover, it grants the government more power, even te power to compel citizens to violate their conscience by saying things they know to be false. Further, it harms the privacy the privacy rights of girls and women, and needlessly puts girs’ and women’s safety and sexual integrity at risk.
Mandatory Gay-Straight Alliances versus Charter freedoms
Released: Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Alberta’s new Bill 10, wich mandates Gay-Straight Alliances in all schools, violates Albertan’s religious freedoms and parental rights as protected under the Canadian Charter by enforcing ideologies that conflict with religious school doctrines. It also challenges Supreme Court protections of religious education and parental rights to determine their children’s moral upbringing.
2019 Judicial Freedom Index
Released: Monday, May 20, 2019
An analysis of Supreme Court of Canada rulings on Charter section 2 fundamental freedoms, 1982-2018
Judicial Freedom Index 1982-2017
Released: Wednesday, December 20, 2017
An analysis of Supreme Court of Canada rulings on Charter section 2 fundamental freedoms, 1982-2017
2015 Campus Freedom Index
Released: Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Measuring the state of free speech at 55 Canadian universities
The 2014 Campus Freedom Index
Released: Monday, September 22, 2014
Measuring the state of free speech at 52 Canadian universities
The 2013 Campus Freedom Index
Released: Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Measuring the state of free speech at Canadian universities
The 2012 Campus Freedom Index
Released: Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Measuring the state of free speech at Canadian universities
Bill C-15: Useless, dangerous, and divisive
Release: Friday, April 9, 2021
This Brief, submitted to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, outlines eight key consequences of the implementation of Bill C-15, affecting all Canadians.
The Fundamental Importance of Freedoms under the Charter
Released: Friday, October 20, 2017
Hansard, Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, April 11, 2017