STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.

Notable cases from the history of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association

Aug 21, 2016 | 4:29 AM

VANCOUVER — The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association has waged many civil rights battles since its founding nearly 55 years ago. Here are some notable campaigns:

Sons of Freedom: The association was founded in response to what was seen as the federal government’s heavy-handed methods of suppressing the so-called Sons of Freedom, a controversial sect of formerly Russian Christians known as the Doukhobors. In 1962, the RCMP arrested members of the faction and charged them with conspiracy, prompting a group of people to raise money for their defence.

Forcible drug treatment: In 1979, the association convinced a B.C. Supreme Court judge to strike down a provincial law that allowed the government to force drug addicts into compulsory treatment. The Supreme Court of Canada ultimately overturned the decision, but the case put the association in the national spotlight.

Little Sisters Bookstore: A Vancouver bookstore specializing in gay and lesbian literature sued Canada after border control officials repeatedly denied the import of materials it classified as “obscene.” The law was upheld in 2000 by the Supreme Court of Canada, but the ruling struck down key provisions, including one that put the onus on the importer to prove that material wasn’t obscene.

Transfer of Afghan detainees: The association and Amnesty International filed a complaint with the Canadian government that military police were transferring Afghan detainees to Afghan forces despite knowing they would be tortured. A judge dismissed the challenge in 2011, but litigation director Grace Pastine said the experience signalled a change in the association’s willingness to take on complex issues related to national security.

Police oversight office: After years of advocacy, B.C. established an arms-length oversight body in 2012 tasked with holding police to account. The Independent Investigation Office was the result of recommendations from two separate public inquiries. The B.C. Civil Liberties Association spoke in front of both. Pastine described the victory as huge.

Medically assisted dying: In early 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld an appeal spearheaded by the association that affirmed the right of some terminally ill patients to access medically assisted dying. Pastine said this heralded a change in the scope of the legal battles the group could wage. “We are now an organization that has the strength and the commitment to be able to sustain that type of massive piece of constitutional litigation,” she said.

The Canadian Press