Democracies Limitations of Rights During emergencies or in

Democracies & Limitations of Rights

• During emergencies or in a crisis, liberal democratic governments may limit people’s rights and freedoms. – Usually done to ensure people’s safety or protect the common good of the country • Most common example in Canada is calling in military or mandatory evacuations during natural disasters. • Efforts by police to break up protests in US, Canada, etc. could also be an example of this, depending on level of force used

Conscription Crisis (1917) • When Britain declared war on Germany in 1914, Canada was automatically at war too. • 1917 – heavy casualties lead the gov’t to introduce conscription (mandatory military service for men) • Francophones in Quebec didn’t see why they should go fight on behalf of the British • Large protests and riots break out, soldiers called in to restore order and 5 civilians killed.

October Crisis (1970) • FLQ – le Front de liberation du Quebec – extremist separatist group committed terrorist acts in 1960 s • October 1970 – FLQ kidnaps 2 gov’t officials, murders one of them • P. M. Pierre Trudeau – invokes War Measures Act which temporarily suspended individual rights and freedoms soldiers called in to patrol Ottawa and many cities in Quebec, police arrest hundreds without charges or bail • The use of War Measures Act was mostly supported by citizens, but criticized by some as excessive, especially in Quebec since FLQ was separatist

Anti-Terrorism • Anti-terrorism Act – passed by gov’t in 2001 (after 9/11) – limits individual rights and freedoms in cases of suspected terrorism • PATRIOT Act – American anti-terrorism legislation, very severe limitations on rights and freedoms, gives police and gov’t many powers to investigate citizens with limited evidence • Key Questions: - Where do we draw the line between security and freedom? How much of our rights should we give up in order to protect society?