Publication Topic : Discrimination

Submission to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: Promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent

In April 2022, the HIV Legal Network and the Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation made this submission to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, focusing on systemic racism and human rights violations by law enforcement officers against Africans and people of African descent, in the context of Canada’s drug laws and policies. … Read more

Respect, Protect, Fulfill: Supporting the HIV Legal Network

Respect. Protect. Fulfill. You can help challenge wrongs, advance rights, and transform lives. Denied basic healthcare. Criminalized and vilified for love. Unfairly targeted by police. These abuses, and more, are too often the experience of people living with HIV and of communities affected by HIV. At the HIV Legal Network, our mission has always been … Read more

Centering Health, Respecting Rights: A training manual for police

Police wield immense power over many marginalized and criminalized communities, who are also disproportionately affected by HIV and/or hepatitis C (HCV). Current movements to reimagine and reduce the role of police and reinvest in community-led initiatives are imperative to promote public health and uphold human rights. At the same time, providing law enforcement with knowledge about … Read more

Letter to Minister Garneau and Minister Schulte

The HIV Legal Network sent the following letter to the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Deb Schulte, Minister of Seniors, urging them to protect the rights of older persons.   February 24, 2021 By electronic mail The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs The Honourable Deb Schulte, Minister of … Read more

Written submission for consideration by the Independent Civilian Review into Missing Person Investigations

This written submission complements comments made previously during our participation in two community consultation sessions. In it, we wish to expand upon our overarching submission that the unjustified criminalization of specific populations, and the role of police in enforcing such criminalization, have understandably impeded, and will continue to impede, relationships of trust and cooperation between those communities and police. In … Read more

Blog: How we’re advancing rights for all during COVID-19

We advocate for communities who are ignored and excluded, or even scapegoated and criminalized. So with the emergence of this new pandemic, we’re not surprised that the most marginalized among us (including prisoners, people who use drugs, sex workers, those without housing, and migrants) are among those experiencing the most harm. COVID-19 is not “the … Read more

FLATTEN INEQUALITY: Human rights in the age of COVID-19

In the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, law- and policymakers are taking and contemplating drastic measures to minimize the spread of the virus. But hasty and broad punitive measures may perversely undermine public health objectives while also violating human rights — so it is essential that any measures be appropriately narrow and comply with … Read more