NDP MP Black introduces bill to prevent torture

This morning, NDP Defence Critic Dawn Black (New Westminster-Coquitlam) introduced a bill to prevent the Government of Canada from transferring prisoners to authorities where they would be in danger of torture, and to make it a criminal offence to use information obtained during torture.

“These reforms are long overdue, and I call on all Parliamentarians to support this legislation,” said Black.

After the Afghan detainee scandal, Black believed that it was necessary to introduce additional safeguards to prevent a repetition of that scandal. “It was clear from those events that there were no clear guidelines prohibiting the transfer of prisoners to a situation where they were in danger of being tortured.”

Black was assisted by the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), the oldest and most active civil liberties group in Canada. Rob Holmes, the president of the BCCLA strongly supports the adoption of this bill.

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