In a ten-hour session on Monday, 11 February, the Senate heard 24 witnesses, in a ten-hour session. All but one of the witnesses - Stockwell Day - spoke against the bill. Transcripts of the hearings (unedited), including powerful statements made by Matthew Behrens of the Toronto-based Campaign to Stop Secret Trials, Adil Charkaoui, and Mohamed Harkat, can be downloaded here.

After some hand-wringing, which only served to demonstrate that they knew exactly what they were doing, the Senate decided to proceed to third vote. (Their debate and vote can be downloaded here.)

The Senate then voted C-3 through Senate. The law will now go to the governor-general to be signed and will then enter into force.

Adil Charkaoui (l) and Sheikh Salam Elmenyawi (r), President of the Muslim Council of Montreal, speaking at a rally outside the Supreme Court, 31 January

The final vote in parliament on the "new" Security Certificate legislation (Bill C-3), has not yet taken place. If Bill C-3 is voted through Parliament, it will go to the Senate where it will undergo the same process as in Parliament (first and second readings followed by hearings in front of a committee, report stage, and a final vote). Regardless of whether or not the new law on Security Certificates is in place, the Supreme Court decision, suspended for one year, will come into effect on February 23rd and the old Security Certificate legislation will be defunct.

Over the past months, federal MPs' offices have received many calls from all over the country, with many even receiving visits from delegations.

We ask that you continue to call your MPs until they assure you that they will vote against Bill C-3.

Secret Trials Bill Stalled in House !

UPDATE AND CALL TO ACTION

The final Parliamentary vote on the "new" security certificate process, Bill C-3, expected to take place earlier this week, was postponed at the 11th hour, and will not be considered until the week of January 28, 2008.

Congratulations to everyone who marched, participated in community delegations, sent emails or phoned MPs - together, we have won the first round in the fight against new security certificate legislation! But there is still much to do.

PUBLIC OUTRAGE STALLS THE BILL!

Community delegations visited the offices of 16 members of Parliament throughout the island of Montreal on Friday, 7 December. Around fifty people - individuals as well as members of groups like Solidarity across Borders, the Immigrant Workers Centre, le Comité BAIL, CEGEP St-Laurent and McGill student groups, Palestinian and Jewish Unity, the Centre for Philippine Concerns and others - took part in the day of action to urge MPs to vote against new security certificate legislation, which the Conservative government is currently ramming through Parliament at a pace allowing for no discussion or opposition. Similar delegations also took place in Sudbury, Peterborough, Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa.

    Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui, 22 June 2007

The Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui held a press conference this morning to respond to the leak of a secret document, apparently part of Mr. Charkaoui's security certificate file, to the Montreal daily newspaper La Presse.

At the Press Conference, Mr. Charkaoui categorically denied the allegations which La Presse reported were contained in the secret document and the Coalition called for 1) a police inquiry into the criminal leak of the secret document; 2) a public inquiry into the actions of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) in Mr. Charkaoui's case; and 3) the retraction of the security certificate issued against Mr. Charkaoui.

    Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui, 22 March 2007

Campaign to Close Guantanamo North

    Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui, 18 October 2006
 

    Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui, 8 November 2004

Summary of the Demonstration against Secret Trials, in Ottawa on November 8th 2004 and the court appearance at the Federal Court of Appeal in Ottawa on the constitutionality of security certificates.
 
Note, the following is a very rough translation from an original report prepared in French.

    Mary Foster, Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui