Carding Class Action
Overview Acting on behalf of Ayaan Farah, the Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) and McCarthy Tétrault LLP have commenced a class action against the Toronto Police Service for the practice of “Carding”, which has disproportionately been used to harass and intimidate Black and Indigenous people. The action names as defendants the Toronto Police Services Board […]
PRESS RELEASE: “Neptune Four” Decision
The Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is delighted with the Ontario Civilian Police Commission’s decision. BLAC represented three of the four boys in the “Neptune 4” case and thanks counsel Jeff Carolin and Nana Yanful for their work. Read our full Press Release and the Decision. Read more on BLAC’s work on the Neptune Four here.
Neptune Four
In November 2011, members of the Toronto Police Service assaulted, pulled a gun on, arrested, and charged four Black teens as they left their homes in Toronto Community Housing and headed to a neighbourhood mentorship program. The youth filed complaints. In 2021, two police officers were found guilty of unlawful arrest and discreditable conduct. However, […]
Frank Dorsey et al. v. Attorney General of Canada
There is a crisis of mass incarceration and anti-Black racism in the criminal justice system. One of the forms this takes is that Black prisoners serve longer sentences at higher levels of security without access to critical rehabilitative programming. The Appellants, Frank Dorsey, a Black man, and Ghassan Salah, are two prisoners who have been […]
PRESS RELEASE: Black Legal Action Centre, Refugee Law Office, and the Canadian Council for Refugees Pleased with the Jury Recommendations from the Abdurahman Hassan Inquest
Many of the recommendations presented to the jury by the Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC), the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR), and the Refugee Law Office (RLO) were accepted by the jury in the inquest into the death of Abdurahman Hassan. Read the full Press Release from BLAC, RLO and CCR here. For more information […]
Abdurahman Hassan
On June 11, 2015, Abdurahman Hassan, a 39-year-old Somali man living with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, died after police officers restrained him. Mr. Hassan had been in custody at the Central East Correctional Centre for three years awaiting deportation. After suffering a seizure while in segregation, he was transferred to Peterborough Regional Health Centre. In […]
Abdurahman Hassan
On June 11, 2015, Abdurahman Hassan, a 39-year-old Somali man living with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, died after police officers restrained him. Mr. Hassan had been in custody at the Central East Correctional Centre for three years awaiting deportation. After suffering a seizure while in segregation, he was transferred to Peterborough Regional Health Centre. In […]
Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform et al. v. Attorney General of Canada
In 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada found that various sex work offences in the Criminal Code violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter). They prevented sex workers from taking measures to increase their safety. The Supreme Court gave Parliament one year to draft new laws. As a result, the Harper government changed the Criminal Code with Bill C-36, the […]
Why everyone should know about the “Neptune Four” – 10 years later
There’s a local stand-up comedian, who also happens to be a lawyer, a doctor, and an accomplished actor – but that’s neither here nor there. In one of his stand-up bits, he speaks of his time as duty counsel. He says “I keep telling my clients exactly what they need to do to avoid being […]
R. v. Morris
Mr. Morris was convicted of various firearm offences. In July 2018, Ontario Superior Court Justice Shaun Nakatsuru sentenced him to a 12-month jail sentence, reduced from 15 months after consideration of Charter breaches. Among other factors, Justice Nakatsuru took into account Mr. Morris’ background and the impact anti-Black racism had in his life, informed by […]
