Par Alex Neve, John Packer et Roch Tass\u00e9<\/p>\n
A timely conference on Wednesday reminded us that as debate swirls about new national security measures in Canada, vital lessons have emerged over the past decade about protecting human rights.<\/p>\n
In the wake of last week\u2019s attack in Ottawa the government is rolling out proposed changes to Canada\u2019s security laws and practices. We don\u2019t yet know the full extent.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday,\u00a0a remarkable group of judges, lawyers, journalists, activists, former diplomats, academics and community leaders came together in Ottawa. We were joined by individuals whose lives have been turned upside down by human rights violations associated with national security investigations, charges, arrest and imprisonment.<\/p>\n
The conference marked the decade since the ground-breaking judicial inquiry into the shocking treatment of Canadian citizen Maher Arar was established in 2004. That inquiry found that Canadian actions, negligence and dysfunction had set Maher Arar up for grave human rights violations, including torture, in Syria.<\/p>\n