A watchdog agency is set to hear complaints that Canada’s spy agency illegally spied on environmental activists. The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) alleges the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) categorized opponents of the oil and gas industry as threats to national security when in fact they are “law abiding Canadians engaged in peaceful activities.”
The civil liberties association alleges members of three organizations were wrongly spied upon during their campaign against the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline project. It believes CSIS broke its own law which prohibits the collection of information on “lawful advocacy, protest or dissent” by Canadians.
The association alleges CSIS shared information it gathered with petroleum companies.
Charter rights said to have been violated
The BCCLA will argue that the spy agency’s monitoring of activities violates the right to free expression, peaceful assembly and free association as guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The hearings will be held in secret which BCCLA lawyer Paul Champ says is like shadow boxing with the lights out. The Security Intelligence Review Committee oversees the spy agency and will hold further hearings excluding the BCCLA in secret for what it says are national security reasons.
An outcome could take months or years.
The Canadian government has passed a security law that activists say will hamper peaceful protests and advocacy in future.
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