law reform
Through law reform and systemic advocacy, we identify anti-Black racism in existing laws and legal systems, and advocate for change.
Our System, Our Children, Our Responsibility
Our System, Our Children, Our Responsibility: A Campaign Against the Deportation of Child Welfare Survivors is a coalition steered by BLAC that seeks to end the deportations of child welfare survivors and to address the related immigration issues.
We demand that the government:
1. Halt all the deportations of child welfare survivors currently facing removal orders;
2. Reinstate the permanent resident status of any/all child welfare survivors;
3. Develop a clear and accessible pathway to citizenship for all child welfare survivors.
Click here to read the letter the coalition sent to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Minister of Public Safety, and the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion regarding immigration removals and anti-Black racism.
Click here to read about the Public Policy we requested the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to create.
Click here to apply for Permanent Resident status using the temporary public policy implemented as a result of the Coalitions work.
Fresh Start Coalition
As a member of the Fresh Start Coalition, BLAC is working alongside 85+ other civil society organizations to change the law so people can move beyond their old criminal records.
We are advocating for the federal government change Canada’s record suspension system and revamp the way Canada deals with old criminal records. The coalition is calling on the federal government to implement a ‘spent’ regime, which would automatically seal a person’s criminal record if they have successfully completed their sentence and lived in the community without further criminal convictions.
Black communities are disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system. Adopting a spent regime will promote reintegration, workforce participation, and improve community safety.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Alongside Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change (COP-COC) and others, BLAC made a joint submission on the fifth and sixth periodic reports of Canada under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
It focuses on issues facing racialized communities, immigrants, refugees and migrants in Canada. In consultation and continued solidarity with organizations serving Indigenous communities, this report also addresses a number of issues disproportionately and uniquely faced by Indigenous communities.
Many of the issues highlighted in this report were never addressed by the Canadian Government in its previous reports. To the extent that they were addressed, the Government of Canada has either not accepted the recommendation or has not acted on them. Some of these issues continue to remain unresolved since the Committee’s 2003 review of Canada during its thirty-fourth session.
Bill C-5 – An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
BLAC, the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) and the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS) urge Parliament to:
- amend Bill C-5 to remove all mandatory minimums,
- remove the ban on conditional sentences for offences with a mandatory minimum penalty
- allow trial judges to depart from mandatory minimum sentences and restrictions on the use of conditional sentences
- amend s. 718.2(e) of the Criminal Code to include specific reference to Black defendants
- fully decriminalize simple drug possession, and provide automatic expungement of criminal records for simple drug possession
Read our full submissions here or a summary of our submissions here.
Joint Letter to Premiers from Civil Society Groups on Bail Reform Changes
The Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS), the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), the John Howard Society of Canada (JHSC) and the Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) are demanding changes to bail reform, warning that the planned changes are...
Letter in Solidarity with Parents of Black Children
The Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) expresses solidarity with Parents of Black Children (PoBC)’s necessary and important work to support Black families navigating Ontario's education system. PoBC’s Advocacy Framework highlights conduct that they discourage school...
Joint Submission to the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights in Canada
The Black Legal Action Centre has made a join submission with the Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change, Chinese Canadian National Council For Social Justice, Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, Council Of Agencies Serving South Asians, Ontario Council Of...
BLAC’s Written Deputation to the Toronto Police Services Board on the TPS Budget Increase
The Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is extremely concerned by Mayor John Tory’s proposal to increase the already inflated $1.2+ billion budget of the Toronto Police Services (TPS) by nearly $50 million. Read our full written deputation to the Toronto Police Services...
Our System, Our Children, Our Responsibility Request to the Minister of Immigration
Our System, Our Children, Our Responsibility: A Campaign Against the Deportation of Child Welfare Survivors is a coalition steered by BLAC that seeks to end the deportations of child welfare survivors and to address the related immigration issues. On October 29, 2022,...
BLAC and Coalition of Community Organizations’ Letter to Ministers Regarding Immigration Removals and Anti-Black Racism
BLAC and a coalition of community organizations sent a joint letter to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Minister of Public Safety, and the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion regarding immigration removals and anti-Black racism,...
BLAC joins ‘Fresh Start’ coalition to launch campaign for criminal record reform
‘FRESH START’ COALITION LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR CRIMINAL RECORD REFORM TORONTO — The ‘Fresh Start’ Coalition launched a campaign today urging the federal government to revamp the way Canada deals with old criminal records. BLAC, joined by a coalition of over 60 civil...
Letter to Legal Aid Ontario Regarding Solicitor-Client Privilege and Confidentiality
Read the Black Legal Action Centre's letter to Legal Aid Ontario regarding concerns about LAO's access to privileged and confidential client information here.
Submissions on Legal Aid Ontario’s Draft Entity Services Financial Eligibility Testing Policy and Draft Requests for Additional Funds Policy
Read the Black Legal Action Centre's submissions to Legal Aid Ontario here.
Submissions on Legal Aid Ontario’s Draft Service Agreement under LASA 2020
Read the Black Legal Action Centre's submission on Legal Aid Ontario’s Draft Service Agreement under the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 here.