This is a very bad day for human rights in Canada friends. Ontario’s “Keeping Students in Schools Act” is a full out assault on fundamental labour rights. And its casual use of the notwithstanding clause points to a deeply troubling trend. 1/7
Alex Neve
14.5K posts
Alex Neve
@AlexNeve24
@alexneve.bsky.social
Human rights for all. Prof/Senior Fellow @uocommonlaw @SchulichLaw @uOttawaGSPIA. CBC Massey Lecturer. Member UN HRC FFM on Venezuela.
- Just a reminder that your role as an elected official is to respect free expression & uphold the Charter of Rights, not to suppress free expression & champion police brutality.This is the proper way to deal with the misguided Hamas supporters. Use any means necessary and throw them out. Enough is enough. Good on you Georgia.
00:00 - Welcomed meeting today with @FranceskAlbs, @UN_SPExperts on Occupied Palestine. Much to cover: genocide, war crimes, arms trade, Canada’s double standards & empty words, accountability, Trump… Her uncompromising & courageous voice & expertise are sorely needed.
- Proud to be among this impressive group of 375 Canadian law professors, lawyers, academics, civil society/faith/labour leaders, former diplomats/parliamentarians and others, who have written this Open Letter to PM @JustinTrudeau calling for a strong statement of Canadian support
- Canada’s response to the ICJ ruling is a colossal disgrace. Whether naïve or hopeful, I truly expected more following repeated assertions of “unwavering” support for int’l law and for the Court specifically. 1/4
- The breathless rush to suspend UNRWA funding the very day of ICJ ruling was abominable. Then as we learned that states haven't seen Israel's intelligence, and now this US assessment of "low confidence" in that intelligence at best, it's an utter disgrace.
- Replying to @AlexNeve24Between them, Canada’s 2 largest provinces have used or threated to be use the notorious notwithstanding clause 5 times in 4 years. That has included overriding protections around free expression, religious freedom, women’s equality, language rights and now labour rights. 2/7
- Replying to @AlexNeve24Instead their reflex now is: the Charter stands in the way of what I want to do, so I will run over it. Don’t bother to engage in the Charter dialogue between courts and governments that is at the heart of human rights protection. Rather, be a contemptuous bully. 4/7
- Replying to @AlexNeve24That is a scandalous, foreboding list. If the drafters of the Charter imagined that section 33 would be used only in the most exceptional and extraordinary of circumstances, Ford and Legault have proven them disastrously wrong. 3/7
- International law is clear: ►The legal test for genocide is not a body count. ► Genocide starts with the first person killed. ► We need to stop genocide long before the death toll is 100's of 1000's ► Nothing justifies genocide, ever, including a country defending itself.People often misconstrue the term 'genocide.' If Israel were indeed committing genocide, the death toll would be in the hundreds of thousands. The situation in Israel is undeniably concerning, as no one wishes for loss of life. However, it's crucial to recognize that Israel, like
- Replying to @AlexNeve24If that's the new norm, what does the Charter stand for in the end? Human rights bulwark that we can confidently use to confront injustice & uphold equality when we need it? Nope. It's a nice document that will be respected when governments agree & ignored when they don’t. 5/7
- The accused staff have been suspended & are being investigated. @HonAhmedHussen, how possibly do you justify collectively punishing the people of Gaza, who rely on @UNRWA as an essential lifeline in the best of times and now, the worst of times, more than ever?Canada unequivocally condemns the October 7th attack on Israel. I am deeply troubled by the allegations relating to some UNRWA employees. I have instructed Global Affairs Canada to pause all additional funding to UNRWA pending the outcome of the investigation. Read my statement:
- With all due respect to Rosalie Abella we cannot leave it to history to judge. When compelling evidence points to a grave risk of genocide or other international crimes is precisely the time to turn to the courts. History is haunted by failures to do so.
- From our press conference this morning, including a heartbreaking presentation from Gaza from Doctor @trklou. Our message to PM @MarkJCarney: it is genocide. Name it, stop it, sanction it.
